New year, new headquarters at KTM. The Austrian brand changes its roadmap for the next season and after its debut in the premier class it does now five seasons with Mike Leitner In charge of the technical section, those from Mattighofen will present a new representative as the person in charge of their MotoGP project. The engineer, in charge of leading this project by the hand since its birth, leaves behind his responsibilities with a total of five accumulated victories, lThe last two signed this season (with Oliveira in Montmeló and Binder in Austria) and thirteen trophies in total, to occupy a new consultant role.
“A key figure” leaves of a project that landed in MotoGP with the ambition to also dominate the queen class, expanding the dominance that they already have in lower categories where this year they have made their rider titles with Acosta in Moto3 and Gardner in Moto2. But unlike in these displacements, the difficulties of the highest category and some results that are made up in a certain way with the sixth position of Binder at the end of the World Cup, have made it impossible the continuity of a Leitner who says goodbye to those of Mattighofen after his disagreement with the brand on how they have approached the course of this 2021.
Despite the fact that the Austrian knows better than anyone a project that he started rolling with the RC16 in 2015 and was first showcased on the grid at the end of 2016 in Valencia, now KTM intends to accelerate the performance of its mount with the presence of Francesco Guidotti, current boss of Pramac Racing. It is not yet official, but the Italian leader has caught the attention of the Austrians with the conquest of the award that accredits his structure as best client and independent team, but also for having been in charge of a team that has the best machine on the grid. The Desmosedici has been the bike to beat this last season and all experience is good to continue expanding a project where ambition remains intact.
As it recognizes Pit Beirer, Director of KTM Motorsports, Much of the faith that the Austrian structure has in dominating the championship is thanks to Leitner’s work. The head of the competition part ensures that they created a team “together” in MotoGP that “had the right staff and drivers to achieve outstanding results”, and under the direction of the former Honda engineer they formed “a great team” that now, after seven years together, he has decided to “reorganize the MotoGP leadership for the future”. Towards the Austrian they only have words of thanks, because “Mike went out of his way to get us from the back of the grid to the front row, and their dedication has played an important part in our success story “, but now is the time to say goodbye and face a new challenge that fills them with hope for 2022.
