KTM had previously dabbled in the premier class when it supplied V4 engines to Team Roberts for a season in 2005, with three times British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne as their rider.
Since then, it has remained in the 125cc, 250cc championships in the past, and the current Moto3 championship, winning the 125cc manufactures title in 2005, Moto3 manufactures title in 2012 and 2013 and winning riders' championships for both Sandro Cortese in 2012 and for Maverick Viñales in 2013.
KTM did announced that, unlike the more traditional route of other manufacturers in MotoGP, it will not be entering a factory team, but will instead build a customer bike akin to that in Moto3 Championship.
Its move to MotoGP will come a year after the new technical regulations take effect and KTM head of motorsport Pit Beirer revealed that the bike would be powered by a V4 engine, will be in a tubular frame as their Moto3 bikes, and will be built and made in Austria with KTM, and with testing due to begin towards the end of next year.
KTM will join Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki and the recently announced Aprilia as an official MotoGP manufacturer in 2017.
So who's next coming into MotoGP as a manufacture? Kawasaki, BMW or Mahindra perhaps?
End of post/blog for now, new post soon. Bye.
No comments:
Post a Comment