Pol Espargaro says the ultra-competitive nature of modern day MotoGP has “helped” KTM to improve its performance over the past 15 months.
KTM made its full-time premier class debut last season with Espargaro and Bradley Smith, and ended the year just eight tenths off the pace having started it over three seconds adrift of the frontrunners.
So far, KTM has found its start to its second campaign harder than expected, with Espargaro and Smith yet to break the top 10 in a race – though test rider Mika Kallio finished 10th as a wildcard at Jerez on a prototype 2019 bike.
However, Espargaro – who was just half a second off the pace in seventh after Friday practice at Le Mans – says the difficult nature of MotoGP currently has been a help in improving the KTM.
“It's really difficult, it's like you can do a really good laptime but you're not safe [into the second part of qualifying],” Espargaro said.
“You know for tomorrow you still need to push once again and risk once again.
“The level in MotoGP is really high and the riders are pushing over the limit, and giving everything the bike has.
“It's difficult for sure, but this is MotoGP and this is what you need to be [doing to be successful].
“It's helped us to improve. It's helped the brand KTM and we are all pushing together.”
Espargaro tested the prototype 2019 bike Kallio raced in Spain in a test last Monday at Jerez, though is using the 2018 bike this weekend. However, KTM intends to introduce it for its home round in Austria in August.
“I'm just using the normal bike,” Espargaro said when asked if he was riding the prototype 2019 bike.
“Since the beginning of the year we've made some small improvements, but it's exactly the same bike and just by riding and knowing the machine a little bit more, we can improve.
“It's been good, but everyone is going so fast. We're checking the laptimes from last year, the records and everything, and we are really close to the record.
“Everyone is really close to the record and even fast like [Andrea] Dovizioso today, and Marc [Marquez] with the used tyre.”
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