“New enigma” - Pol curious to see KTM 850 MotoGP lap times in Austria
Pol Espargaro is curious to see how KTM’s 850cc MotoGP prototype compares with its rivals at Monday's Red Bull Ring Pirelli test.
KTM test rider Pol Espargaro is curious to see how the factory’s new 850cc MotoGP bike performs against its rivals in Monday's Red Bull Ring test.
Espargaro has been switching between development work on KTM’s future machine and stand-in appearances for the injured Maverick Vinales on Tech3’s current 1000cc/Michelin bike.
Monday’s group test will not only put the 850s on a new circuit, but is just the second outing where current MotoGP race riders are eligible to try the 2027 machines and Pirelli tyres.
After finishing 16th in Sunday's grand prix, Espargaro said of the test:
“There is a lot of work. First of all, to see how the bike reacts on another race track, because every time we got to another circuit with different conditions, track temperatures, the bike changes completely and we need to reset-up everything and we get a lot of information.
“We [will] get three tyre compounds, so we need to understand how they work.
“But especially I'm curious what the MotoGP guys say, what our guys say when they try the bike, and how we are compare to the others.
"Because that's also something really interesting. In Mugello we were not too bad lap time-wise, compared to Ducati, but we improved quite a lot the lap times.
“But a new race track, it's a new enigma.”
As at the previous Brno test, KTM is expected to let Sunday’s race winner Pedro Acosta ride its 850cc machine, despite switching to Ducati next season.
Moreira, Zarco set for Honda 850 debut
Espargaro was not the only 850cc test rider racing in Austria, with Takaaki Nakagami taking an impressive 13th place as Joan Mir’s replacement, ahead of Honda regulars Luca Marini and Diogo Moreira.
Nakagami confirmed that LCR riders Moreira and Johann Zarco, who finished tenth on Sunday, will both make their 850cc/Pirelli debuts during Monday’s test.
“Tomorrow main job is that Diogo and Johann will try the new bike,” Nakagami said.
“I will ride also, but the main job for tomorrow is to help the two guys. Hopefully they like Honda’s [new] bike.”
Moreira and Zarco are contracted to Honda for next season, although it's not yet clear if Moreira will move alongside Fabio Quartararo at the factory HRC team.
As a private test, no official lap times will be provided on Monday.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
