KTM and GASGAS reflections from Sepang Test

2023 Sepang MotoGP Test

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and their GASGAS Factory Racing siblings convened at the Sepang International Circuit and in the hot and sweaty Malaysian climate to increase the intensity of their preparation work for 2023 MotoGP.

After the three-day official test, KTM’s Brad Binder rested 14th fastest while new recruit Jack Miller was 18th as the team diligently threaded through an analysis program of setup for the ’23 KTM RC16.

Brad Binder – P14

“We got through a lot of different of things, a lot of different parts and on the last day we had something new every time we left the pitlane. So, we accumulated a lot of information going forward and data for the engineers to go through. I think we narrowed down our options quite a bit and we are getting closer to our package that we’ll start the season with. My goal in Portimao is to continue that process and I want to start the first Grand Prix with the best possible combination from all the new material we’ve tried so far. The boys worked hard here to get as much done as we can. We had good track time and so far, so good.”

Jack Miller – P18

“By the last day we were at a point with the bike where we were making good steps with the set-up and we were looking how I could get more comfortable. We continued to tweak the geometry and the last adjustment allowed me to feel decent with used tyres. I was very happy with the new engine and I’m getting much more understanding of the bike and what I need from it. That’s the process. We’ll continue with that in Portimao and I think we ticked as many boxes as we could here in Malaysia.”

Fastest overall on the RC16 though was new GASGAS recruit Pol Espargaro, the 31-year-old fractionally faster than Binder.

Pol Espargaro – P13

“Today was the best day for us. We tried various key things such as engines, some important parameters, aerodynamics, and all of them worked very well. I would like to congratulate the Pierer Mobility Group because the improvements made over the last few years are incredible. We have a bike working well, and I am happy. Of course today we ended up P13 because lap times exploded within the last hour, but we were in the top 5 all day. What matters anyway will be lap times in Portimao GP, not during the tests. It is very easy to make a fast lap after three days of testing, but it does not really mean much. Last year, I was amongst the fastest here with one the best rhythms. Same in Mandalika, and 2022 was still a disaster. Anyway, I am happy with the homework done in Sepang, and I can’t wait to head to Portimao in one month to make the final adjustments before going racing.”

2023 class rookie Augusto Fernandez finished 22nd on the time-sheets, 1.7-seconds behind outright pacesetter Luca Marini.

Augusto Fernandez – P22

“I am going home with a positive feeling. Over the last three days, we made a lot of progress, including the base, the feeling on the bike, and we did good lap times. I really needed dry track time so I was happy about the weather today. We did as much as we could until the rain arrived. I managed to go under 2’, but I still have a lot to work on. Every little step matters, and I have learned so much every day. I feel more confident on the bike and I am starting to feel like a MotoGP rider! I will check carefully all the data, mine, but also the ones from the other riders. Next we will go testing in Portimao, and it will not be easy with a MotoGP machine. We will continue working, try to be patient and do things smartly.”

KTM and the rest of the factories will now have one month to fabricate the second round of components and possible solutions for the 2023 settings. The final test of the MotoGP pre-season will take place at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao, Portugal on March 11-12.

Francesco Guidotti
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“We did a massive amount of work here and everybody involved made an incredible effort. We collected all the information we could and we need to continue working as hard as we can in the next weeks to find the next step for the second test in Portugal. We’d like to find a few more tenths of a second. We had enough tyres here to work on bike setup but not so much on bike development as we were restricted to quite short runs and the weather didn’t help so much, especially on the second day. Anyway, we are full gas to give our riders the best possible package, so we are happy but we know we can still do more.”

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Sebastian Risse
Red Bull KTM Technical Manager MotoGP

“A very productive test here where we had many new ideas, new riders and new staff! Overall, I think we did a really good job. The bike has made a step forward and we have a clear idea of where to go now. We now need to check how the package works on what will be quite a different track and in quite different conditions in Portugal. We have more work to do in the next month but we’ll be ready for the first race. Of course Augusto had some extra sessions, and he has a lot of energy to do all this track time and did very well trying to understand the bike, the tyres, the class. Also Pol had a very good test and is quite happy. We are also happy with how he is gelling with the bike. He brings a big contribution into the development based on his past experience. Having this pace and experience meant we could quickly dive into the test parts and make good progress towards the beginning of the season.”

Nico Goyon
GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 Team Manager

“It was nice seeing our two riders back to school after the winter. Sepang holds the traditional preseason test, and I have to say that it has been a very intense one for the GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 team. We saw big efforts from the Pierer Mobility Group staff during the winter. There were a lot of items to test and we did almost all our homework, so the riders did a great job. Pol Espargaro had a lot of different items to test: engines, aero parts, chassis parts, and he went through all of them, which gives us a better idea of the bike we will have for the season. Augusto Fernandez needed to learn the bike, get to speed, and he also had aero and chassis items to test, which were positive for him. He improved his lap time today, although he ended up being caught by the rain towards the end of the day. Thank you to both of them for their work over the last three days. I would like to finish with saying thank you to the crew because they worked incredibly hard over the last week, with late night shifts and not much sleep, just so we can be ready each day. It has been one of the most difficult tests, but we did it, and we head home with a lot of positive comments. Thank you to all the team.”

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