Maverick Vinales of Tech3 MotoGP Rider says the KTM “is not yet ready” for a low grip. This was exposed during the British Grand Prix Sprint.
After recent strong races by Maverick Vinales and KTM, it struggled to replicate its shape at the British Grand Prix.
KTM Rider didn’t make it to Q2, but the top representative for the 10-lap sprint was Pedro A Costa in the eighth, with Venares taking the checkered flag in 13th place.
After the sprint, I explained that low grip conditions are currently not suitable for the RC16.
“I think we have experience on bikes. There’s a lack of KTM experience on this track,” he told Silverstone on Saturday.
“We faced a low grip truck and still aren’t prepared for these conditions.
“So, despite feeling very strongly in the sprint, especially after six and seven, I was watching the group catching the front for the P7.
“But we have no experience, so we need to be patient and continue our work.”
Sunday’s Grand Prix at Silverstone is expected to drive medium rear tires due to high levels of wear. This is similar to the Qatari Grand Prix, in which Venares made a big jump from the sprint to challenge from the podium.
However, he does not expect to repeat this at the British Grand Prix.
“For me, the situation is very different from Qatar,” he added.
“In Qatar, there is a very high grip, especially in terms of the lateral grip, which is very low here.
“In many corners, when I have to flick my bike quickly, I have an ice-like feeling in the back.
“I miss the pinnacle, you’re 60 degrees (leaning over), and you’re smashing the tires.
“So, basically, what needs to be improved is an entry into the corner and then everything gets better.
“So it’s been improved in the Sprint, but it still requires another step to be competitive. Unfortunately, the grip is low so there’s nothing magical.”
Venares preached patience at KTM, but Acosta demanded that improvements be made to the bike soon on Saturday.
Asked about Acosta’s comments, Vinaru said:
“But I have no experience with this bike and I can feel that this track isn’t set up well for entry into corners.
“And this is because the truck has a low grip, for example, yesterday was much easier.
“So when you don’t have grip, you lack experience and setup.
“I think there’s a good base setup when the conditions are normal, but when the conditions are low, there’s a lot of work on the bike as well as the electronics.
“Unfortunately, we have no experience, but we work. I hope we get the job we do today tomorrow.”
