Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a positive three days of testing at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia as Austrian factory KTM prepare for their maiden MotoGP™ campaign. Completing a full program of 162 laps over the three days, Espargaro’s best lap time saw him end with a gap of under two seconds to the best time of the test – almost incredibly, with the exact same interval as new teammate Bradley Smith.
The 2013 Moto2™ World Champion had a small crash with no consequence on Day 3, with his best time on the third day proving a 2:01.506. Eager to get more track time as KTM test updates and changes to most components of their RC16 – which also boasts a tubular steel chassis – Espargaro is now looking forward to the next test at Phillip Island, beginning February 15th.
PE44, P23 “I think we have done a good test, and this is the most important thing. We’ve improved quite a lot from the beginning. The team is working well and we are going in the right direction, so I am pretty happy. Phillip Island is a new track for us, because this is the first time that KTM will be there. Mika has already done a very good job on the tracks where the team has already been. Phillip Island is a demanding and beautiful track so it will be interesting to see what we can do.”