Published: 15 Aug 2024
Jack Miller & Brad Binder "Concerned" KTM "Hasn't Improved" in 2024
The 2024 season started on a high for all KTM riders. Since then, however, the Austrian outfit hasn’t improved much – to the concern of its riders.
Despite the some early-2024 successes, KTM has struggled to maintain its competitive edge throughout the first half of the season – to the concern of their riders.
Brad Binder offered his perspective on the current situation, noting that the team has not made the necessary strides in performance.
“We haven’t improved, and we’re roughly the same as last year, but other teams have made noticeable progress. It’s not that anything is completely wrong; we just need a better overall performance,” the South African explained.
The lack of improvement has been compounded by Michelin’s nee rear tires, which Binder highlights as a significant factor in their performance decline.
While Ducati has managed to adapt quickly and gain an advantage, KTM is struggling to extract the full potential the new compound.
Jack Miller echoed similar sentiments after the British Grand Prix, describing the 2024 KTM MotoGP bike as “more sensitive to the temperature changes than before, which is definitely a concern.“
The bike’s handling of big spikes in temperature is the biggest problem, thinks the Aussie. Sensitivity to the weather conditions and a drop in tire performance in high temperature has become a bit of a recurring theme for teams running the RC-16 this season.
“We need to work on optimizing our use of the tires. I have to be very patient and wait to accelerate. I can’t fully use the tire’s edge grip from the start to the finish of the race.”
A New Approach to Development
In addition to performance issues, KTM’s new approach to development and testing has also raised questions. Unlike previous seasons, where the team frequently experimented with new parts, the first half of 2024 saw limited innovations.
Binder pointed out that the team now prioritizes receiving feedback from the test team before introducing new components.
“We don’t bring anything new unless the test team confirms a significant improvement. This strategy is to avoid deploying parts that don’t offer a clear advantage. Our test team works well, and we have two of the fastest test riders.”
Francesco Guidotti reinforced the adapted philosophy. “During a race weekend, we concentrate on fine-tuning the bike. If we decide to test something new, it’s usually during the second Friday session when the track conditions are optimal.”
“The Friday sessions have become crucial for us. If we secure a direct entry into Q2, it opens up the possibility of experimenting with different ideas during the Saturday morning practice.”
