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RED BULL KTM has unveiled its first premier class MotoGP team at the new KTM Motorsports building in Munderfing (Austria). The entry to the MotoGP racing makes KTM the first manufacturer to have a factory team contesting all three categories of the world championship. KTM is the dominant brand in off-road motorsport and in January won its 16th consecutive Dakar Rally with British rider Sam Sunderland on the KTM 450 RALLY. Now, together with main sponsor Red Bull, the company goes in an entirely new direction in road racing to begin contesting the elite class of the MotoGP World Championship.
The KTM RC16 was rolled out at the end of October 2015 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg (AUT), and since then the team has conducted more than 50 test days on various GP circuits. Test rider Mika KallioSmith and Espargaro will start chasing world championship points when the season begins in Qatar at the end of March.
Pol Espargaro (MotoGP Factory Rider): Bradley Smith (MotoGP Factory Rider): Speaking about his recent injury, Smith also confirmed that he is back to full fitness.
Stefan Pierer (KTM CEO): Pit Beirer (KTM Motorsport Director): (Red Bull Motorsport Manager): "Yes for us Heinz Kinigadner is the probably the reason that we are here. He was one of the first athletes I met when I started at Red Bull, and he was also the one who brought me into this KTM family. Now after all the success and with Pit joining the Motorsport Department in 2007, everything moved a step higher, and we started to win in Offroad, and in the US and everywhere. Then with Moto3, it was a big jump into road racing. It was clear for us as an Austrian company and one with such a long history with KTM that we had to join this project from day one. We're looking forward to the same success as in offroad, and naturally also to win the MotoGP title very soon."
Mike Leitner (MotoGP Team Manager): Aki Ajo (Moto2/Moto3 Team Manager): Turning to his Moto3 riders, Ajo said: "No pressure, boys. Also in Moto2, we have such great riders, so our targets need to be very high."
Source: RED BULL KTM
The KTM RC16 was rolled out at the end of October 2015 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg (AUT), and since then the team has conducted more than 50 test days on various GP circuits. Test rider Mika KallioSmith and Espargaro will start chasing world championship points when the season begins in Qatar at the end of March.
Pol Espargaro (MotoGP Factory Rider): Bradley Smith (MotoGP Factory Rider): Speaking about his recent injury, Smith also confirmed that he is back to full fitness.
Stefan Pierer (KTM CEO): Pit Beirer (KTM Motorsport Director): (Red Bull Motorsport Manager): "Yes for us Heinz Kinigadner is the probably the reason that we are here. He was one of the first athletes I met when I started at Red Bull, and he was also the one who brought me into this KTM family. Now after all the success and with Pit joining the Motorsport Department in 2007, everything moved a step higher, and we started to win in Offroad, and in the US and everywhere. Then with Moto3, it was a big jump into road racing. It was clear for us as an Austrian company and one with such a long history with KTM that we had to join this project from day one. We're looking forward to the same success as in offroad, and naturally also to win the MotoGP title very soon."
Mike Leitner (MotoGP Team Manager): Aki Ajo (Moto2/Moto3 Team Manager): Turning to his Moto3 riders, Ajo said: "No pressure, boys. Also in Moto2, we have such great riders, so our targets need to be very high."
Source: RED BULL KTM
