Bradley Smith – Bradley Smith believes KTM’s MotoGP program is at 80% of its final potential, ahead of the start of the 2017 MotoGP season. The Austrian brand joins the championship full-time this year. In fact, it made a test program in 2016 with Mika Kallio, who also raced in the 2016 Valencia GP.
Bradley Smith has completed four tests with the RC16 since November
Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro have joined KTM from Tech3 Yamaha. They four and three tests with the KTM RC16 since November . Espargaro completed 1.308 seconds off the speed in testing at Phillip Island last month. “By the time we got to touch the bike, there has been already a lot of hard work gone into it. There was a lot of effort ended up into it already.” Smith told to Autosport.
“I’m really pleased with where we’re at”
“Let’s say it was already at 70%. Right now, during the time we’ve been on the motorcycle, we’re taking it to maybe 80%. And we still have 20% to go. I’m really pleased with where we’re at, given the short space of time that we’ve had on these motorcycles.” added Bradley Smith. “We’ve got 35 guys in the race team, all pushing to get this bike as soon as possible to the front. Because that’s our ambition. They understand that we’re 15 years of experience behind all the other manufacturers. But that doesn’t scare anybody. It’s like, ‘OK, that just means we have to work harder and do more’.”
KTM continues with the last three days of running in Qatar
KTM has ventured to new circuits so far this year with the Sepang and Phillip Island tests. And that continues with the last three days of running in Qatar from March 10, ahead of the circuit’s season opener. “Having also ridden the package at Valencia and Jerez last year.” Smith admits. “It’s “difficult to say which circuits on the calendar should suit KTM. We’re developing the motorcycle at such a fast rate at the moment that I can’t say that one track is suiting the others.” said Bradley Smith. “We probably still don’t know about this bike where its advantages and weaknesses are. If I had to say one thing that it’s awesome at, is high-speed corners. That’s something that’s good.”
“Somewhere like Mugello, with the downhill Casanova/Savelli [section], the two Arrabbiatas, I think that’s somewhere that potentially we could be really strong. But we don’t know until we get there. Honestly, now, I don’t want to make too many preconceived ideas.” concluded Bradley Smith. “I just want to turn up. So, Do my best and see where we are at the end of the weekend.“
