Zarco mengakui dia tidak gembira di KTM dan membuat keputusan untuk berhenti bagi mencari semula “senyuman” yang telah lama hilang.
Sementara itu, Pedrosa turut mengesahkan dia tidak akan kembali ke MotoGP sebagai pengganti Zarco selepas bersara hujung musim lalu dan kini bersama KTM sebagai ‘test rider’.
Dalam perkembangan lain, Valentino Rossi memilih Andrea Dovizioso sebagai pilihan juara musim ini meskipun ketinggalan 58 mata dibelakang pendahulu, Marc Marquez.
Desmo Dovi mempamerkan tunggangan mantap di GP Austria baru-baru ini dan berjaya mengetepikan Marquez di selekoh terakhir untuk muncul juara di litar yang menjadi kegemaran Ducati.
Saingan MotoGP akan kembali minggu depan di litar Silverstone.
Johann Zarco announces that he will leave KTM at the end of the 2019 MotoGP season.
The announcement was made on his Facebook after the Austrian GP weekend.
There’s no news where he will go since all seats in MotoGP are taken.
The Austrian GP weekend has been full of bombshells, and now Johann Zarco announced that he will leave KTM in 2020.
Zarco made the announcement through his Facebook account. The decision was made after discussions with KTM at the Red Bull Ring, considered to be the factory’s home race.
Although it’s well-known that the two-time Moto2 champion has been struggling the whole season on the KTM RC16, it was still a great surprise to see him leave with such haste, as there is no opening in MotoGP next year. But he must’ve been contemplating on leaving for some time.
Zarco had high-profile falling out with the team since Jerez earlier this year. He was caught calling the bike’s chassis and suspension “sh*t” on “live” TV after returning from a crash. He also had scathing words for the bike during an interview, which prompted a public reprimand from KTM’s CEO Stefan Pierer.
Perhaps all these started when Jorge Lorenzo bandied himself for a return to Ducati, at Jack Miller’s expense in the Pramac Ducati squad. KTM stood by to offer Miller a contract should he lose his Pramac seat. That would mean KTM will remove Zarco.
Then Lorenzo turned around and spoke to Repsol Honda boss Alberto Puig that he will continue with his contract through 2020. Consequently, Miller’s place in Pramac was also confirmed.
Now KTM has a vacant slot for next year. Pol Espargaro will continue with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, while Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder will ride for the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing Team.
Only time will tell who KTM will pick and Zarco’s future.
Pelumba KTM MotoGP, Johann Zarco mengumumkan dia tidak lagi akan mewakili pasukan berpangkalan di Austria itu selepas menerusi kenyataan yang dikongsi di laman Facebook miliknya.
Zarco mengakui bukan mudah untuknya membuat keputusan tersebut namun memberi jaminan untuk terus berikan yang terbaik untuk baki saingan yang ada.
Beberapa minggu lalu, KTM mengumumkan keputusan membawa masuk Brad Binder dari Moto2 bagi menggantikan wakil tunggal negara, Hafizh Syahrin di KTM Tech3.
Semalam, timbul desas-desus pelumba Pramac Ducati, Jack Miller, akan menggantikan Zarco di KTM dan pengumuman daripada pelumba Perancis itu seakan menguatkan lagi khabar angin tersebut melainkan Pramac bertindak menawarkan kontrak lanjutan kepada Miller.
KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”
It follows Zarco’s outrage by calling the RC16’s frame and delivery “sh*t” in Spain.
But Pierer conceded that the bike needs more work.
The KTM MotoGP saga continues with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer saying, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”
Pierer uttered the statement following Zarco’s struggle to achieve better results. The two-time Moto2 champion’s best was 13th in Austin, Texas. He placed 15thin the season opener in Qatar and Argentina, and 14th in the Spanish round last week.
Zarco has said that he couldn’t adapt to the KTM RC16, a bike which he said, “only goes well down the straight and only wants to go straight.” He had also been caught on camera calling the frame and power delivery as “sh*t” in Jerez, Spain. This, coming from one of the nicest MotoGP riders was certainly something.
But his statements didn’t go well with KTM’s management.
KTM CEO Stefan Pierer told Speedweek, “Johann is a big disappointment and I’m very sorry about that. We hired him so that he and Pol (Espargarò) could push one another but the opposite happened. Espargarò is on his own.”
The other KTM rider pushing Espargarò was new signing Miguel Oliveira in the Red Bull Tech 3 KTM Racing team, instead. Apart from struggling in Jerez to finish 18th ahead of his teammate Hafizh Syahrin, Oliveira had come home in 17th, 11th and 14th, respectively. KTM was so impressed that they’ve extended Oliveira’s contract through 2020.
Photo credit Autosport
In addition to struggling with a completely new bike, Zarco had to contend with his manager and mentor (and friend) Laurent Falon switching camps to Honda. Falon had kept Honda’s offer a secret from Zarco and team through 2018.
“When an athlete at this level doesn’t have everything under control, then he has a problem. They told me that he was already very rude in the garage in Texas and the situation worsened in Jerez. But I want to say that we will do all we can to improve this year. We’ve already got the new materials, following his indications, and he’ll be joined by Jean-Michel Bayle,” added Pierer.
But Pierer was quick to add that KTM is not seeking to end Zarco’s contract. The French rider was signed also through 2020.
“We still have 15 races to run this year. Going from Yamaha to the KTM requires adaptation and that takes time. There are two different kinds of bikes in MotoGP: Yamaha and Suzuki with the inline 4-cylinders and Honda, Ducati, KTM and Aprilia with the V4. With the latter, you have to ride a certain way. You need to be bold and throw the bike down into the corners, you can’t go easy. Consider how, post Stoner, it took Ducati from 2010 to 2016 to find someone else who could win with their bike.”
On the other hand, Pierer didn’t deny that the RC16 needs more development. He revealed that the bike needs to lose another 4 to 5 kilograms and that the electronics are still an issue.
But what Pierer didn’t mention was the KTM RC16’s chassis architecture, which uses a steel-lattice frame and WP suspension. All MotoGP bikes use Öhlins suspension and aluminium frames. Ducati had suffered with the carbon monocoque for many years (including with Valentino Rossi) before swallowing their pride and reverting to an aluminium frame. It may not make a difference to you and I who ride on the streets and in the occasional track days, but it does for riders who push their bikes to the limits.
Why not change riding styles then? Both Zarco and Syahrin are suffering with turning into corners. Syahrin, Espargarò and Oliveira have all stated that one needs to be “aggressive” with the bike, echoing Zarco’s call.
Zarco has stated before that changing his smooth riding style will result in the team having with too much inconsistent data, especially while developing a new riding style. Setting up a bike is based on how the bike reacts to the rider’s inputs, after all. The best rider to illustrate this was Jorge Lorenzo who also rides with the “traditional” smooth style. He had suffered to no end during his first year with Ducati before the team solved his woes for his second year.
Changing a riding style, especially one that had brought past successes is not easy. The last thing a rider needs to concern himself about is his riding style in the heat of competition. It is the team’s job to provide the rider a bike that he doesn’t have to worry about, to allow him to concentrate on his race strategies i.e. lap times vs. tyre degradation, him vs. his opponents, etc.
The KTM factory had better come up with some solutions fast because all the new riders are at their mercy, rather than the other around.
Johann Zarco said he was exhausted from fighting his bike in the Argentina MotoGP.
He couldn’t ride the KTM RC16 the way he wanted to.
He finished 15th and Hafizh Syahrin in 16th in the race.
While we published Hafizh Syahrin’s struggle with the KTM RC16 MotoGP bike, we wondered what his ex-Yamaha Tech 3 teammate Johann Zarco went through.
The two-time Moto2 champion finished 15th in Qatar and obtained the same result in Argentina. Even then, his final placing at Argentina was after Morbidelli took himself and Vinalez out of the race. By the end, Hafizh Syahrin was able to latch on Zarco’s back wheel and finished one spot behind.
On the other hand, long-time KTM MotoGP rider Pol Espargaro and new Red Bull KTM Tech 3 signing Miguel Oliveira took off to fight it out for 10th and 11th.
Zarco had been quite prior to this, but he recently shared his thoughts in an interview with Motorsports.com.
First, he was held up by Jorge Lorenzo who mistakenly his the pitlane speed limiter on the Repsol Honda. Zarco was in 21st place into Turn One. But his race also deteriorated as it went on.
“I almost struggle all the way, from the start. With Lorenzo I don’t know what happened and I had to brake a lot behind him, I was second to last,” he recalled.
“Beginning of the race, the first eight laps I was feeling quite good but not able to overtake my opponents because I cannot control well the bike at the moment.”
“Then more and more I was going in the race it was coming harder and harder to ride the bike. I spent a lot of energy.”
“Difficult to leave this kind of races when everything I would like to do, I can’t. This makes me fight with the bike, and then I am exhausted.”
At that point, the bike started to slide, difficult to brake and turn into corners. Zarco rides the traditional long-arc style, in other words, early braking to carry more mid-corner speed and smooth transitions. Hafizh Syahrin rides in this method, as well.
Photo credit Fox Sports Asia
Is this the key to why both these ex-Yamaha riders are suffering?
However, he is adamant in keeping his riding style, as he believes that it allows KTM to improve. Staying on one style means you don’t have too many variables to work with, making it easier to concentrate on which areas that need improving.
The Austrian factory would surely (and sorely) be missing inputs from test riders Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kalio by now. Both are unfortunately recuperating from their injuries.
KTM has launched all their MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams for 2019.
There will be two teams in MotoGP, but both are using the same bikes.
They are Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing.
KTM launched their MotoGP teams tonight. They are known as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing teams, respectively.
The “all-in” event also included KTM teams, bikes and riders from Moto2 and Moto3 classes. Additionally, KTM is represented by two teams on factory machinery.
In one corner is the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, with Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco as riders. This team’s KTM RC16 uses the traditional Red Bull KTM livery.
In the other corner is the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing team, with our boy Hafizh Syahrin and Miguel Oliveira as riders. Their KTM RC16 are finished in a new orange, blue and silver livery. Hafizh promised during the special press conference and meet the fans session during the Sepang Winter Test, that the new livery will be replicated on a special edition KTM RC390 in Malaysia.
Both teams will contest on the factory KTM RC16, as the manufacturer is eager to collect twice the data in half the time in developing the bike. Although it still needs much development as Zarco said, Europe’s largest motorcycle maker could not shake their excitement.
After all, KTM’s morale and determination took a huge boost when Pol Espargaro put the bike on the podium for the first time last season in Valencia. Meanwhile, the retention of veteran KTM test rider Mika Kallio and signing of Dani Pedrosa as the new test rider will keep the program rolling at a high pace. Unfortunately, Pedrosa broke his collarbone and is out for three more months. However, KTM are allowed concessions for testing and development under MotoGP rules. Making full use of this leeway, KTM brought out several engines with different specs at Sepang.
The new bikes will hit the track from 20th February. Until then, let’s just enjoy the photos of the RC16 from both camps. All photos are from KTM and published in MotoGP.com.
Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) akhirnya telah menamatkan kemarau terpanjang Yamaha dengan satu kemenangan penuh bergaya di Phillip Island.
Penunggang kelahiran Sepanyol itu mengemudi jentera Yamaha M1 yang telah ditala dengan sempurna itu bagi menangkis serangan penunggang seperti Andrea Iannone (Suzuki Ecstar) dan juga Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team).
Alvaro mengejutkan semua apabila dia menamatkan perlumbaan di P4 sebagai pengganti Jorge Lorenzo yang tercedera.
If you’ve been spending the past few hours in front of the TV watching the Australian MotoGP round at Phillip Island, you would agree when we saw that all three races from Moto3 all the way up to MotoGP were jam-packed with action and drama. The MotoGP race was no exception as Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) finally secured a win for the Japanese factory. (more…)
Johann Zarco’s form seemed to have dropped after his crash at Le Mans.
Some speculated that success had gone to his head.
But he had just fought back to finish 2nd fastest during the post-Czech GP tests yesterday.
Johann Zarco had a great start to the MotoGP 2018 season, when he finished 2nd twice in four races and well ahead of the factory Movistar Yamaha team.
But after the heartbreaking crash at Le Mans in front of his countrymen, his form had a taken a dip somewhat. The sudden drop in performance even prompted his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss, Herve Poncharal, to state that Zarco had suddenly been basking too much in the MotoGP limelight and life in the fast lane, especially after meeting his current girlfriend. Others speculated that he might have contemplated about his mortality after the crash. These riders risk their lives and limbs for the sake of our entertainment, after all.
Poncharal knew the crash at Le Mans was different to any other and Zarco had dropped down the order, finishing 10th in Italy, 7th in Catalunya, 8th in The Nederlands, 9th in Germany and 7th again in the Czech Republic races.
Pic from MotoGP.com
“I’m happy about the race, a good race, good pace, and we were able to fight at the beginning,” said an upbeat Zarco. “The soft rear tyre was a good choice, I’m happy for that, it helped me to fight at the beginning. Maybe I could have overtaken more riders at the beginning, but it was difficult. In the race I tried to do the best I can, and in the end for sure the tyre was getting used and it became a little bit more difficult, not because of the tyres just because we’re working on the bike to find the best feeling,” said the 2-time Moto2 champion when interviewed by MotoGP.
But if the results of the just-completed post-Brno tests were anything to come by, Zarco certainly hasn’t lost his motivation and certainly not his skills. With the help of his team on the 2017-spec Yamaha YZR-M1, the Frenchman completed a punishing number of 71 laps and emerged 2nd fastest overall.
Zarco continued, “Now we are coming back on good things, from the Saturday we are quite fast, not enough to be on the podium but I understood good things this weekend so, I’m pretty happy and when everything isn’t perfect I’m taking points and that’s the main thing at the moment.”
He was honest about the dip in his performance, too, “… maybe in the last races I was racing like a guy who is going to buy the bread every morning. Now I can ride the Yamaha well and the answer is yes, I’m happy.”
A happy rider is a fast rider. The next round is at Austria this weekend, from 12th August 2018.
