Hervé Poncharal: “KTM has a quartet of very successful riders for 2022”

A few days after the official test MotoGP at the Jerez circuit, we spoke with Hervé Poncharal, manager of the Tech3 team, to talk about the 2021 season of Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona. We also took the opportunity to ask him his first impressions about Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez who will wear the colors of the French structure in the premier category next year. 

What is your assessment of Danilo Petrucci's last season in MotoGP? 

“After the 2020 season which ended with a victory in Portimão, no one expected the start of 2021 to be so complicated. There were few tests and Danilo had to acclimatize to his new mount, but he never really got his bearings on the KTM. Even though we failed to achieve the goals we dreamed of, Danilo is a “normal” person. He's someone you can have dinner with and have a good time. He has human values ​​which are important to me and which denote a little of the stereotypes of young MotoGP riders. From the start, he told us: “I’m old, I’m heavy and I’m tall and it’s getting more and more complicated for me.” Indeed, faced with the new generation of pilots whose driving style is difficult for him to assimilate and his handicap of weight and size... a whole bunch of parameters worked against him. We only talked about what we were losing in acceleration, in top speed and in fast sectors. »

How did Danilo experience not continuing in MotoGP for 2022? 

“He quickly understood that it was going to be complicated this year. We tried until mid-season and when we had to make decisions and choose Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez, Stefan Pierer, the big boss, told him: “we like you and we understand why things are happening. are as they are. We would like to keep you in the family and we know that your dream is to do the Dakar.” I didn't believe it and neither did Danilo. So we spent the first half of the season trying to adapt the bike to Danilo or make sure he could get his bearings. And once the decision to recruit the two rookies was made, the atmosphere was not heavy during the second half of the season, because Danilo knew he was going to do something he had always dreamed of. We ended the year on a good note. We put the Dakar motorcycle in the box upon arrival in Valencia, he was emotional. We maintained good relations and it was an interesting experience, even if sportingly, we did not achieve our objectives. »

@motogp | Farewell but not goodbye, Danilo!

We're still feeling pretty emotional after what has been a special year with the soon-to-be Dakar Rally rider.

We can't wait to see you embark upon your new adventure on the dunes, @Petrux9!
#ReadyToRace #DakarRally @ Tech3Racing pic.twitter.com/a3iSJ5W5AQ

— Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (@KTM_Racing) November 25, 2021

And on Iker's side? 

“Iker's second year was expected to be a clear progression from his rookie year. But for a whole bunch of reasons, it didn't. For him, it was also complicated, because he had to perform while trying not to fall. He is a very generous pilot, an attacker, I nicknamed him the “luchador”. It's true that on several occasions we showed interesting things during testing, but we always had difficulty putting them into practice in the race. I remain convinced that Iker is an excellent rider, very talented, but when you find yourself mid-season having to choose Gardner and Fernandez... a decision and it was made by KTM management. On the one hand, I'm happy, because, thanks to the fact that he rode in MotoGP, he was able to make a name for himself, show his talent which caught the eye of Alberto Puig (Honda Repsol team manager) who signed him for two years in WorldSBK on the official Honda. He was happy too. Of course, he would have liked to stay in MotoGP, but he knows that he has a good two-year contract with the possibility of fighting for victories, even the title. This allowed us to end the year with a good atmosphere on both sides of the box. There are years with and years without… It was a complicated year for KTM as for Tech3, but that’s also part of life. » 

For 2022, Tech3 will have two rookies with Remy Gardner, reigning Moto2 world champion, and Raul Fernandez, vice-world champion, how did their first rides go at Misano during the season and at Jerez a few weeks ago? 

“Misano was a dream. As Raul said, it was a treat that KTM gave him. It was a bit like giving them a roller coaster ride in an amusement park, but then they had to get back to work, because their mission was to fight for the Moto2 title. In Jerez, on the other hand, their job was to attack the 2022 season as a starting rider in MotoGP. It was more complicated for Remy, because on a change of angle, his ribs, fractured in Portimão, cracked again. He had to grit his teeth on the second day. It was also very windy in Jerez, it was even dangerous at times. On the return straight, Raul almost found himself off the track because of the gusts. However, we worked well, but we kept a little on hand. First impressions are very positive. It must be said that they only knew this motorcycle. For the moment, everything is wonderful for them: the braking, the acceleration, the holeshot device, the electronics... they were like kids. But they quickly noticed that physically, it was much more demanding. Braking and accelerating have nothing to do with Moto2 and they quickly realized that they were going to have to work physically. »

First impressions of 2022 with our two rookies ✊🏻🎥#KTM # Tech3 #MotoGP #Tech3KTMFactoryRacing @MotoGP # RF25 #RG87 # 2022Loading @ 25RaulFernandez @GardnerRemy pic.twitter.com/ZZHGxGatOa

- Tech3 Racing (@ Tech3Racing) November 19, 2021

With your experience in the paddock, do you think Remy and Raul will be two good clients next year? 

“We're super happy, super excited, but I don't want to predict what might happen next year. Everything will depend on their adaptation, on the way in which KTM will evolve the bike and the work accomplished by the other manufacturers during the winter. There are many parameters to take into account. Every year, the fight is fierce between the rookies. In 2022 there will be Gardner, Fernandez, Di Giannantonio, Binder and Bezzecchi. Our goal will therefore be for them to fight for the title of best rookie. But in recent years, we have seen that Zarco and Folger made podiums during their first season, Binder and Martin even won as rookies, Fabio also finished on the podium just like Bastianini this year. The caliber of Remy and Raul allows them to envisage doing very good things. I think KTM has a quartet of very capable riders. There will be superb competition and I am convinced that one of the hidden objectives of our drivers will be to fight against the two official representatives, Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder. » 

Do you anticipate the rivalry that there may be between Remy and Raul within the box? 

" No way. I experienced this with Olivier Jacque and Shinya Nakano who both played the title. But here, I think that neither Remy nor Raul will leave to fight for the title in 2022, or else I would be the first happy! The rivalry will be less and in MotoGP, the boxes are much larger, the staff of each driver is independent… In Moto2 or Moto3, there are technical positions which are shared by the two drivers. In MotoGP, there are two teams in one. Everyone will work on their own and I think there will be less rivalry. »