Less than a week after the initial run-out for 2020 MotoGP at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia both Red Bull KTM and Red Bull KTM Tech3 were both back on-track but further south in the Iberian Peninsula and around the curves of Jerez.
Throughout Monday and Tuesday looming clouds threatened poor weather conditions and although some good work and laps were achieved on the first day, the second was largely washed out due to the wet climate.
Pol Espargaro ploughed ahead with work on the 2020 configuration of the KTM RC16 and maintained a steady position in the top ten of the fastest times. The Spaniard tried a new aerodynamic package on Monday. Teammate Brad Binder took advantage of both the dry and wet state of the course to continue his acclimatisation to the MotoGP race bike. Fellow rookie Iker Lecuona suffered a crash on Monday but was also eager to circulate whenever possible to gather information. Test rider Dani Pedrosa missed Monday through illness but logged some mileage at Jerez on Tuesday.
2019 preparations for KTM’s fourth season in the premier class are now complete and MotoGP enters a testing ‘blackout’ during December and January until the engines are started again at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia in early February.