The folks at Tech 3 dropped the bomb a few hours ago. They made a deal with Austrian manufacturer KTM for the 2019 season. The Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal made it clear a few days ago that his team and Yamaha will part ways after the last lap of the Valencia GP this year, but who would have thought KTM will be their new partner.
The decisions made by Tech 3 came as a big surprise for everyone. The partnership between Yamaha and Tech 3 lasted for two decades, but apparently, KTM came up with a better deal. The Austrian motorcycle manufacturer just finished its debut year in MotoGP. The 2017 season saw KTM riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith (former Tech 3 riders) reaching impressive top ten results.
Things are looking good for KTM in 2019. With 4 RC-16 on the starting grid, this is a more than happy situation for the guys at KTM.
The KTM Motorsport Director, Pit Beirer stated:
"We are very happy to join forces with Tech 3 in MotoGP from 2019. The team has many years of experience and achieved a lot of great results in this championship. Their professional structure will make us even stronger. Having four KTM RC16 on the grid is also another big step for us, both for the development of our MotoGP bike and expanding KTM’s structure in the paddock. From the Red Bull Rookies Cup up to MotoGP there is a clear path to the top. We are looking forward to start a great cooperation and I’m thankful towards Hervé Poncharal for the future trust in KTM."
The KTM RC-16 is a promising machine. It features a V4 engine that produces around 270 hp and a trellis frame. The RC-16 is a featherlight machine that proved to have what it takes for the satellite team riders Johann Zarco and Hafizh Syahrin to get top results.
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