Red Bull KTM: “Not allowed to fall asleep”
Yes, Red Bull KTM dominated both classes in the Motocross World Championship this year. For the sixth (!) time this decade, the Austrians achieved a double victory in MXGP and MX2. No, that doesn't mean the reigning champions will rest on their laurels.
MX2 Team Manager and technical coordinator Dirk Gruebel admitted that there are no major changes in the pipeline for the KTM engines. Not illogical, considering KTM entered 2018 with new motorcycles. As an engineer, Gruebel emphasized that the search for improvements never stops. To the outside world it is difficult to understand how the machines that dominated the holeshots, won both world titles and formed the basis for two of the three AMA Supercross championships, can still be improved.
“We definitely have some ideas to try out,” says Gruebel. “Taking major steps forward every year is impossible. But there are certainly some things to play with - like the stiffness of the frame - to make riders feel more comfortable. We can't fall asleep... that's our job!”
Jeffrey Herlings recently tested some adjustments to his 450 SX-F. A motorcycle that he himself described this season as 'the perfect motorcycle'. The popular Dutchman has not been back on the bike for long after taking a long break after the Motocross of Nations. This made it unusually quiet for Herlings' Red Bull KTM team. The Bullet has been part of this setup since 2010. In that time he gave KTM four world titles. “It is actually the first time that Jeffrey has taken such a long rest period. Over the past two years it has been difficult to get it off the bike,” laughs Gruebel. “We didn't want to stand in his way. He had to completely decompress from this year so he can get hungry again. So that break was definitely a good thing.”
At the same time, Tony Cairoli is determined to be even stronger in 2019. “Tony has almost done his homework,” says Gruebel about the nine-time world champion's testing work. “He kept driving. We have done some development work on the chassis and he has also switched to the new engine that Jeffrey has been using this season.”
MX2 World Champion Jorge Prado determines the evolution of the 2019 KTM 250 SX-F but he still has to do some testing with the new engine. Everything is new for rookie Tom Vialle. “We still have quite a bit of work to do with the 250. The riders are actually waiting for us there, says Gruebel. “It is still too early for Tom to offer him a lot of new stuff for an engine that he still has to get to know. After all, the new engine is super strong and we first want it to feel comfortable.”
Red Bull KTM is expected to split into two camps again for winter training. On the other hand, Cairoli and co will be working in Sardinia while Herlings is expected in Spain. Herlings skips the Italian championship and focuses on the preparatory matches in Hawkstone Park and LaCapelle Marival. Perhaps the Mantova Starcross will be added.
Tekst: Adam Wheeler
Photos: Ray Archer, S. Taglioni
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