KTM’s official premiere MotoGP efforts launch for fourth year

Images by Sebas Romero/KTM

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KTM have revealed their 2020 MotoGP race colours and officially launched the 2020 Grand Prix season today, with all eyes now focused on the factory’s fourth season in the premier class with the twenty-race calendar getting underway at the Losail International Circuit on March 8.

The line-ups for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 have been known for a number of months with 28-year-old Pol Espargaro returning for his fourth term with the KTM RC16 (as holder of the most Grand Prix points and one podium finish) and his seventh in the category.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

24-year-old rookie teammate Brad Binder will be making his MotoGP debut alongside Miguel Oliveira who enters his second year in MotoGP at 25 years of age. Iker Lecuona at 20 is another rookie for 2020 and the youngest racer on the grid forming the Tech3 roster.

Red Bull KTM Tech3

Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsport Director

“2020 is about to begin and I would say we are exactly where we expected to be. We’ve had everything on a road map and have followed it with the full support of the company and the board. Last year we worked with a satellite team and four riders that provided valuable feedback and the groups spurred each other on, but, at the same time, it pushed us to the limit for resources and raised us to the peak where we are now. I would not say we have a ‘satellite team’ now but instead we are a KTM ‘pack’ with friendship and trust, and I include our test team in that whole organisation. It’s fascinating to be able to develop insanely powerful, high-quality motorcycles – the pinnacle of motorcycling engineering – and we push the materials to the limit. Then there are the riders; Pol brings so much to this project and we know Brad very well and it is a great story for us to have our own Moto3 world champion now racing in MotoGP. Miguel will definitely put the factory guys under pressure this year and we have huge faith in Iker who has impressed us already. Working on the Moto3 project in 2012 was the foundation of our current MotoGP programme and one of the most important steps for our racing department because it allowed us to start, learn fast and build with largely the same group of people. We’re happy to be able to play such a big role in that category. We will continue to give it everything we’ve got to make improvements in MotoGP. This is an important season for us. I’m convinced we have done an excellent job in the background to be lining up with a very good motorcycle on the starting grid but we will be measured by our lap-times!”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing & Red Bull KTM Tech3

For the second season on a row, KTM will count four KTM RC16s on the MotoGP grid and with the quartet of race bikes all carrying a 2020 spec. The riders have already completed both a private and official IRTA test so far since January and will lap Losail from February 22nd for three days in the final dialling-in outing before Grand Prix action commences at the same venue.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 Specifications

Red Bull KTM Tech3 boast some novelty factor for 2020 with their ‘Organics by Red Bull’ livery and a fresh look for the crew. The potential of the third generation of the KTM RC16 is eagerly anticipated after the firm expanded their test team efforts with the experience of former world champion Dani Pedrosa complimenting the long-standing knowledge of Mika Kallio in 2019.

Pol Espargaro’s RC16 – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

MotoGP will represent the peak of the KTM road racing structure. No less than fourteen KTM RC4 riders will be progressing or learning the finer points of Grand Prix in the Moto3 division while the stars of tomorrow will be battling through the 2020 seven-round Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the brand-new Northern Talent Cup series.

2020 MotoGP Calendar
Date	Grand Prix	Circuit
08 March	Qatar*	Losail International Circuit
22 March	Thailand	Chang International Circuit
05 April	Americas	Circuit of the Americas
19 April	Republica Argentina	Termas de Rio Hondo
03 May	Spain	Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto
17 May	France	Le Mans
31 May	Italy	Autodromo del Mugello
07 June	Catalunya	Barcelona – Catalunya
21 June	Germany	Sachsenring
28 June	Netherlands	TT Circuit Assen
12 July	Finland**	KymiRing
09 August	Czech Republic	Automotodrom Brno
16 August	Austria	Red Bull Ring-Spielberg
30 August	Great Britain	Silverstone
13 September	San Marino	Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
04 October	Aragón	MotorLand Aragón
18 October	Japan	Twin Ring Motegi
25 October	Australia	Phillip Island
01 November	Malaysia	Sepang International Circuit
15 November	Comunitat Valenciana	Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo
*Evening ** Subject to FIM Homologation

Source: MCNews.com.au