11/24/2022 |
MotoGP staff |
MotoGP
Picture: GeeBee Images
KTM MotoGP test rider Dani Pedrosa has identified that pace on new tires – particularly in qualifying – is the key to his factory’s success in 2023.
The fastest man never to win the big title believes that speed on the soft tire is where Ducati has made its biggest improvement and where KTM must put its focus.
“There are two points that stand out. If we look back on the last two years, qualifying has often been a weak point for us,” said Pedrosa.
“Because you could see that it was easier for the Ducati riders to go a second faster with the new, soft tyres. As a result, they placed all eight Ducati very far ahead on the grid. It’s more difficult for the remaining teams to be up front on the grid.
“The KTM was easy to control and manage with used tires. But with new tires we couldn’t make any big time improvements. This weak point prevented us from reaching the front starting positions.
“You know: there are problems with the front tires when you follow an opponent in the slipstream. Then the tire pressure rises to crazy heights – and you lose grip.”