MotoGP: Espargaró fired up for KTM challenge

KTM new signing Pol Espargaró says he’s fired up to get the new MotoGP season underway after coming away from his first outing on the Austrian bike at the end-of-season Valencia test positive about the future.

Finally able to speak after being restricted until the end of the year, the former Moto2 world champion says that everything he’s seen so far is encouraging – even if some things are done a little differently at KTM.

“I’ve learnt a lot of things both on the bike and off the bike and I think all of them will be used with KTM – but I’m still young and I have a lot of things to learn. I hope I’ll keep learning until I retire.

“KTM have big ideas. Where they go, they win. So they’re confident of their potential, but it’s still a very young project. So we need experience. But I’m quite positive. From the first race we need to keep improving, until the last one. We’re here to try, and show that KTM can do it.

“We’re using different front forks than no one is using – I don’t know if that will be a problem or an advantage, but it’s certainly different. The tubular chassis is the most worrying thing – not because it’s bad; because it’s new. Nobody has tried it. KTM uses it everywhere else they race – but it’s really different to what MotoGP is used to. So we’re going to try it!”

And while rivalry with teammate Bradley Smith is sure to continue as the pair make the move from Monster Tech 3 Yamaha to the new team, the Spaniard is keen to work with not against his British rival to find success together.

“Your teammate is the first person you need to beat but for sure we need to help each other next year. Especially because we have huge amounts of work to do, together with the team. We need to start from the base, step-by-step, and work together. When we’re on top, if we get there, then we’ll fight each other. But until then we have to help each other!”