Pol Espargaro: “We struggled here more than we expected”

Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) fought hard in the Catalan GP as he raced close to home, with the Austrian factory rider hailing from nearby Granollers and pushing for a good result. It was a difficult weekend with low grip for Espargaro, however, and he came home just outside the points.

Pol Espargaro: "I think we struggled here more than we expected. We knew it was going to be hard because of the long corners and when we need to turn, we run into some problems, especially with this asphalt as it is quite old and the grip is so low. When we have less grip it's a bit harder to turn, but to our advantage we have a three day test after this race here at Catalunya where we can improve the bike and try some new parts to try to work forward with this project."

It was always going to be tough, as the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was off the test program last year as KTM prepared to join the grid - but the Austrian factory then stayed for the one day Official Test as well as two more private days of testing at the track, with some positive results ahead of the next round at the TT Circuit Assen:

Pol Espargaro: "We've done a very very good job testing here in Barcelona. I think we've made a 'review' of the season so far with the parts we have tried as we just don't have enough time during race weekends. We tried things on Monday and then clarified a lot we had in our head. Maybe it weren't the best days to do 'a time' but it was good to confirm things and make a good step with the bike, particularly with the electronics. I am super happy because I think we've improved the bike a great deal and that is so important for Assen with more information under our belts."