Espargaro will get tools to fight to last lap of KTM tenure
Pol Espargaro has dismissed suggestions his impending switch to Repsol Honda will see him frozen out of KTM’s development strategy this season, saying he has had assurances they will work to the best possible goals right to the final race.
The Spaniard’s much rumoured move to the factory Honda team for the 2021 MotoGP season was officially confirmed ahead of this weekend’s 2020 Spanish MotoGP opener in Jerez.
The deal will bring an emotional end to Espargaro’s relationship with KTM having joined the Austrian team from its debut season in 2017 and been credited as the driving force behind its ascent from backmarkers to top six contenders.
Despite the blow to KTM, they won’t follow the same approach as it did in last year’s acrimonious split with Johann Zarco, who was eventually dropped by the team early following news of his contract termination.
Indeed, Espargaro feels he has a duty to finish what he started right to the final lap, not least because he wants to help his less experienced stablemates – Brad Binder, Miguel Oliveira and Iker Lecuona – pick up the mantle I 2021.
“No, I really don't think so [won’t be frozen out of developments], and I'm not lying to you because of team policy or anything. I have already spoke super clear and direct to Mike [Leitner] and Pit [Beirer] and all the board members, until the end of this year I have a contract with KTM, and I'm not riding this bike in a sad way, I'm super happy here. It's still very good with them, and we all are going to fight to the end for the best results. And to get this the best way is for all of us to work together.
“Also, on the other hand, my teammate is a rookie, so if my results don't come, then also my teammate won't learn as much as if we are all together. So I think there is no point from KTM for sure, and there is not a point on my side to just take it a little bit easier.
“I'm going to push, you all know me, I think, and I'm going to push as hard as I can until the last race. I don't know if it's Valencia, and I'm 99% sure that KTM is going to be the same, so no doubts about it.”
KTM head into the 2020 MotoGP season with high hopes, with the latest generation RC16 the first to be fully developed in the vision of high-profile development signing Dani Pedrosa.
Setting the ninth quickest time during today’s comeback one-day test ahead of this weekend’s race event, Espargaro is nonetheless tempering his expectations until he gets out in a proper race environment.
“Last year we were hitting the top ten sometimes and it was hard, especially on Sunday, to keep the pace of the top ten guys. It is not true that the bike works very good.
“For sure we want more but for now we are seeing in this test, and the ones before, that our pace is good enough to fight for the top ten at a place where we have struggled for the top ten in previous years and also when it has been so hot and we lost a lot with the grip. We had to play with the grip quite a lot. The bike is improving but it cannot come from day to night.”
