MotoGP – KTM recognizes Zarco’s bike needs major makeover

Bruno Gomes

April 23, 2019

Johann Zarco is suffering a lot with the change he made this season and his Red Bull KTM Factory team know they need to change the Frenchman bike.

The Red Bull KTM Factory team has seen great improvements already this season. Top 10 results in MotoGP have become something the Austrian team is getting used to. The team’s strategy is to be able to get their riders to fight for victories in a year or two.

Talking to German news portal Speedweek, KTM Motorsport manager Pit Beirer recognizes his team has achieved better results earlier than expected.

But despite having signed Johann Zarco, the Red Bull KTM Factory team knows that the Frenchman isn’t happy with his results. Neither is the team. So Pit Beirer has decided to accept Zarco’s requests for a major makeover on the KTM RC16 bike.

Pit Beirer says that “What he [Zarco] needs isn’t inside any of the team trucks now. We really need to change things. To change the amplitude of turning, and the steering angle and do a major intervention on his bike”.

So, starting at the next MotoGP round in Jerez de La Frontera, Johann Zarco will get new parts to use. According to KTM Racing, the Frenchman will get a new swingarm and a new frame.

Given that Johann Zarco and also Hafizh Syahrin have been struggling to get the same level of results as they did last season when competing for the Yamaha Tech3 team, will we see KTM deliver the same parts to Hafizh to try and help the Malaysian rider improve his performance?