IN
THE
WIND
P52
KTM'S BIG
BANG THEORY
K
TM has joined the Big Bang
theory, with a first major
engine upgrade to their all-new
steel-framed RC16 MotoGP bike.
Following the lead set this year
by Honda, the Austrian com-
pany's first major engine upgrade
to their V4 is a crankshaft revision
to introduce more uneven firing
intervals.
Riders Bradley Smith and Pol
Espargaro tried the new motor at
group tests at Le Mans earlier in
the week, and both liked the less
aggressive feel, and both used it
in the first day of practice at Jerez.
"The power is softer and
smoother, so you can put a bit
more power," Espargaro told the
press.
The ever-analytical Smith was
reserving judgment. "You can
hear the exhaust has a lower
pitch, and that is how it feels," he
said. But it was for the engineers
to assess whether it was a genu-
ine improvement.
It seemed so, however, with
both moving from their usual
back-of-the-grid positions in
qualifying to place 15th and 16th.
Michael Scott
The new engine saw a marked improvement for KTM at Jerez.
UNCINI IN HOSPITAL AFTER SAFETY CAR CRASH
F
IM Safety Officer Franco Uncini was
injured along with an unidentified
passenger when the former 500cc
World Champion crashed the official
Dorna Safety Car at Jerez, shortly
before racing was due to begin.
Uncini was traveling at some 120
mpg when he lost control of the BMW
M5 at the fast turn five, leading onto the
back straight.
The car spun across the gravel, hit-
ting the tire wall hard enough to bend
the barrier behind it.
Uncini and his passenger were taken
to hospital, both with broken ribs and the
passenger with a broken arm.
Uncini was still in hospital later that
evening. The crash is not the first for the
safety car, but it is the first time there
have been any injuries.
Observers reported an erratic move-
ment before the crash, indicating low grip
levels that later had a major effect on the
MotoGP race.
Michael Scott
The safety car
at the Jerez
MotoGP didn't
live up to its
name.
