While Yamaha’s hired F1 muscle to revamp their engine (and Ducati’s been sitting pretty on those triple-crown laurels), KTM’s been busy prepping for the new season by heaping up on the paperwork side of things and putting 2023’s successes in the hands of new riders.
KTM’s situ is uncommon, though not unheard of; according to Motorcycle Sports, the Austrians’ 2022 lineup was mainly comprised of racers that had no MotoGP experience outside of Team Orange, rendering an environment in which their racers were less cognizant of the competitions’ machines.
With three of KTM’s four riders now switched out for debutante Augusto Fernandez, returnee Pol Espargaro and post-Ducati Jack Miller, KTM Team Manager Francesco Guidotti can only reinforce that “sometimes you have to make a choice and risk, be a little bit brave.”
“Jack will bring us experience and then really more interesting will be Pol, because he is coming back to us [and] can compare [how the bike has changed] and he’s really motivated because he wants to perform,” states Guidotti.
“He wants to win.”
With KTM’s Red Bull Factory Racing team having claimed 2nd place in MotoGP’s 2022 World Championship, we’re anticipating big things in the coming year. Stay tuned for updates, hit that button toward the tippy-top of the page for 24/7 ad-free reading, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.