VOLUME 58 ISSUE 12 MARCH 23, 2021 P95
The preseason has been
a difficult one for Brad
Binder (pictured) and his
fellow orange riders.
KTM
Reason For Concern
After finishing just 21 points off in
the Constructors' Championship
in 2020, big things are expected
of KTM this year. Motorsports
Director Pit Beirer was no ex-
ception. "I definitely want to be
(named among) the title contend-
ers," he said in February.
Qatar was a reality check,
however. New factory boy Miguel
Oliveira and Brad Binder struggled
to match the fastest times of
the test, finishing 16th and 17th,
respectively. The South African
crashed three times and was over
a second off in terms of pace. "It's
the general feeling that we have
hit a wall," said Oliveira toward the
test's end.
The loss of Pol Espargaro is
surely one factor. The fact that
both factory riders plus Tech3
KTM's new signing Danilo Pe-
trucci, are working with new crew
chiefs this year, is another. And
the Losail International Cir-
cuit doesn't work to the RC16's
strengths. Perhaps we won't
see the true potential of 2020's
surprise package until the series
returns to Europe in late April.
