Since 2019 Tech3 is the KTM’s satellite team in MotoGP. The Austrian manufacturer wanted the French squad on an equal footing with the factory team as much as possible, and that is still the case nowadays – as emphasized by Red Bull GasGas Tech3’s team manager, Nicolas Goyon.
The Frenchman highlighted that the intention is the four KTM RC16 to be as similar as possible: ‘Since we switched to GasGas, inside the Pierer Mobility the target is really to get all the four bikes as close as possible. It was the case last year’.
According to Goyon, there was an exception last year with the carbon frame but, overall, GasGas Tech3 was always on pair with KTM: ‘Of course the situation with this carbon frame was a bit tricky. Honestly, they didn’t think about using this chassis; they used it on [Dani] Pedrosa’s bike for the wildcard in Misano if I remember well. Then it was so good, we had tests after Misano, the KTM riders tested it and it was so good that they decided to use. But nothing was ready at the factory. There was a plan to use this chassis for the end of the season. So it was a little bit tricky even inside KTM. They needed to react to this new situation and to press the production button – which is not so easy, especially on such a difficult part. Of course in this area we were a little bit behind last year, but all the other departments, and especially aerodynamics, we were at the same level – maybe one race behind, which is the normal time to produce a part. So politically everyone wants to have the bikes as close as possible’.
Regarding the carbon frame, Tech3’s leader believes the team will use it from the beginning: ‘Will we start with the carbon frame this year? I can tell you, yes, we will test at some stage and I’m quite confident we’ll have the same package as the other guys to start the season in Qatar’.