IN
THE
WIND
P34
TECH3 AND KTM PARTNERSHIP
CONFIRMED
F
rench-based MotoGP team Tech3 has confirmed it will
be partnering with KTM for the 2019 season onwards,
confirming the worst-kept secret in MotoGP.
"We are very happy to join forces with Tech3 in MotoGP
from 2019," said Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport Director. "The
team has many years of experience and achieved a lot of
great results in this championship. Their professional struc-
ture will make us even stronger."
Tech3 has enjoyed an 18-year relationship as Yamaha's sat-
ellite squad, however, was said to be displeased with Yamaha
given the stunning season team rider Johann Zarco delivered
last year. Tech3 expected factory-level support for from the
Iwata brand, and with it not forthcoming for 2018, team boss Herve Poncharal began
looking elsewhere for a manufacturer partner. He found it in KTM, who has guaran-
teed his team full factory equipment and strong input the RC16's future development.
"I always said that something was wrong if Zarco did not have a full factory bike in
2019, and it wasn't going to happen with Yamaha," said Poncharal. He did not have
a deal in place to keep Zarco after the end of this season, but he was in a position at
least to tempt him to stay. CN
CASEY STONER ON THE
DUCATI PANIGALE V4
D
ouble MotoGP World Champion and cur-
rent Ducati factory tester Casey Stoner
recently gave his thoughts on the Ducati Pani-
gale V4, in this video bought to you by Ducati.
It must be taken with a grain of salt, after
all, he is a Ducati employee, but Stoner's
words are interesting, especially when he
talks about the power delivery of the new V4
and the integration of the electronics.
The Australian remains the only rider to
ever win an FIM MotoGP Championship
for Ducati, when he triumphed in 2007. He
switched to Honda in 2011 and duly won his
second championship, before retiring at the
end of 2012. CN
Herve Poncharal
is happy to finally
be getting factory
bikes in 2019—
albeit in orange—
for the first time
since his Tech3
team came to
MotoGP 18 years
ago.
