Pol Espargaró believes that KTM is “in play now” in MotoGP, after completing a moment on a first podium on dry land at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Espargaró qualified seventh with his RC16 in Jerez, but rose to one position after LCR’s driving force Cal Crutchlow had to withdraw from the race due to injury.
The KTM driver remained in the organization fighting for the last podium position during the full 25 laps, crossing the sixth line after wasting Petronas SRT’s Morbidelli in the past when a move by Andrea Dovizioso from Ducati on the last corner was unsuccessful.
The RC16 proved to be a forged set in training, with Espargaró claiming that KTM “at the top of others” at MotoGP in Jerez.
“Now we are next to the others, ” said Espargaró. “At least here in Jerez, we have to see in the next races.
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“But here we are at the point of others, even faster because I felt that if I could be alone, I would travel two, three or 4 times faster, and we drove in 1m39.1s, 2s, 3s, when I can walk in 1m38.7s, 8s at this rate.
“Then, at one stage, I felt faster than them.” Also, the news is that all [KTM] pilots were going fast.
“Then Brad [Binder] goes very fast, Miguel [Oliveira] and Iker [Lecuona] too.
“Then, all of us, the 4 KTM on the starting grid, are hard and strong, especially in the race pace.
“We’re ahead and we’re in the game now.”
Espargaró spent the race following the Dovizioso Ducati and believes, in addition to the strength of the GP20, that the KTM is “faster everywhere” in Jerez.
Dovizioso commented after the race that completing 3rd “is like a victory”.
“Actually, we’re faster everywhere, we lose in direct opposition to Ducati,” Espargaró said.
“I promise you that we are faster on the brakes, we are faster in corners, we are faster in corners, only that they have a little more traction, but only the most sensitive speed [that’s where we lose].
“He [Dovizious] is slower than us. I’m not saying that to see well, but it’s the truth.
“I tried to overtake him because I felt faster than him, he would catch me in the straight.
“This is the position where they were faster than me.
“The rest I can just fight, and my fastest speed today.
“I gave in, making a mistake, coming out open, six tenths and in 4 or five, six laps, it was already two tenths [again].
“Then, honestly, I felt faster than them, but I couldn’t go beyond him [Dovi].
“It’s also a component of the race. I wasn’t smart enough to, or we weren’t smart enough to reduce the Ducati.”