IN
THE
WIND
P50
ZARCO TO KTM IN 2019
J
ohann Zarco looks likely to join the factory
Red Bull KTM team for the 2019 MotoGP sea-
son, according to report from motorsport.com.
The Frenchman is reported to have made a
verbal agreement with KTM Motorsport Director
Pit Beirer at the recent Austin MotoGP, with a
formal announcement expected to come at this
weekend's Spanish MotoGP at Jerez.
Zarco's appointment will see him team with
incumbent Pol Espargaro while Bradley Smith
set to lose his seat in the factory Red Bull KTM
team.
Zarco was initially linked to the second seat at
Repsol Honda alongside Marc Marquez, but is
said to have balked at joining an outfit where he
would be regarded as the clear number-two rider
to four-time MotoGP World Champion, Marquez.
With Zarco all but sealed at KTM, it opens the
door to a contract extension for Dani Pedrosa, who
has raced for the Repsol Honda team his entire
MotoGP career but has never claimed the title.
This, however, is not a done deal as Repsol Honda
is extremely interested in current Moto3 World
Champion Joan Mir, who has made no secret of
wanting to spend as little time as possible in his
current Moto2 role for the Marc VDS Kalex team.
Spaniard Mir is also on Suzuki's radar to replace
Andrea Iannone, although the Italian's weekend-
long pace and podium at Austin may have given
him a reprieve if he can continue his current run of
form. CN
Johann Zarco
looks like he'll be
swapping a black
Yamaha for an
orange KTM—and
Monster Energy
for Red Bull—next
year in MotoGP.
SALVINI, HOLCOMBE TOP SPANISH GP
T
he second round of the FIM Enduro World
Championship took place in Santiago, Spain,
April 28-29, where riders faced sunny conditions on
Saturday, and a deluge on Sunday, which made a
tricky, muddy mess of the rocky course.
Alex Salvini (Husqvarna) got his weekend off on the
right foot by winning the Friday night SuperTest, and
then carried his momentum into day one of the Span-
ish GP, claiming the overall win and the E2-class vic-
tory. Eero Remes finished a close second while Loic
Larrieu rounded out the EnduroGP (overall) podium.
Reigning FIM Enduro World Champion Steve Hol-
combe ran into trouble on day one in the water, but
rebounded on day two for a masterful performance
in the difficult conditions. Jamie McCanney, the E1
winner from day one, improved on his Saturday per-
formance to claim second overall on Sunday while
Salvini rounded out the podium. CN
