The Barcelona tests marked the start of a new era for KTM with the arrival of Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini. Pol Espargaró, test driver for the Austrian brand, played a crucial role in the integration of these new talents.
THE Barcelona MotoGP tests marked the beginning of a new era for KTMwith the arrival of Maverick Viñales et Enea Bastianini within the Tech3 team. Pol Espargarotest rider and key figure in the development of Austrian motorcycling, shared his observations on this intense and promising day.
Pol Espargarodrawing on his experience and his central role in the development of KTM, described the tests as a crucial opportunity to collect varied feedback and identify areas for improvement: “ Every driver has their own requirements. It is essential to to understand what they like, what they want to improve and what they bring from their previous experiences. »
On the newcomers, Pol Espargaro comments: “ Enea Bastianini is happy with the bike. He has already noted positive points, but also aspects to improve such as settings or dimensions. SThe feedback is very encouraging. » Et Maverick Viñales ? Pol highlighted the energy and enthusiasm of Vinaleswho is riding his fourth different bike in MotoGP: “ Maverick is extremely passionate and proactive. He gets off the bike with a smile, which is very motivating. Compared to Enea, who is more calm and thoughtful, Maverick brings a different energy, and it's fascinating to work with these two characters. »
Pol Espargaro: « this day was dedicated to providing support to newcomers so that they can feel comfortable »
Espargaro recalled that the development of KTM RC16 will require time and adjustments: “ we are still at the beginning of the process. The official drivers have not yet fully tested the new features. This day was dedicated to providing support to newcomers so that they can feel comfortable. »
Testing also allowed the official team to begin exploring specific adjustments: “ from the afternoon, the official drivers were able to test important things, which is crucial to progress. »
Despite the complexity of the adjustments and the scale of the challenges, Pol Espargaro is optimistic about the future of KTM : « every test is an opportunity to collect data and experiment. I'm very excited about everything we saw in testing. »
With experienced pilots like Vinales et Bastianiniand a solid technical team, KTM aims to continue his rise in MotoGP. The Barcelona test was just the first step in a process that will continue at Sepang and throughout pre-season.
Pour Pol Espargaro et KTMthe objective is clear: use the feedback from all the riders, adapt the bike to their needs and, above all, ensure that the 2025 season is marked by competitive and consistent results.
MotoGP, Barcelona Test: times