The GP di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini was quite challenging for the KTM riders. During the three free practice sessions that were valid for direct qualification to Q2, all the riders were faced with different weather conditions, and this was detrimental to the KTM riders' assessment of problems, specifically.
Mike Leitner - Red Bull KTM's Race Manager - recently stated that the RC16 doesn't always prove competitive right from the start of a Grand Prix weekend.
'This year, we've sometimes had a situation where we've arrived at a circuit and been quite competitive from the start, and others where we have to work and then get competitive. When you arrive at a place like this [Misano], it seems that the drivers are not that happy after the first go on the track. Then, 15 minutes before the end of the session [FP1] it started to rain and session two was also in the rain. We go to FP3 and you don't get the answer immediately before the first qualifying and you're not in Q2. Then you act on instinct,' he said according to The Race.
He explains that it is understandable that the riders can't be sure of any problems they may have experienced and that, despite everything, Brad Binder managed to have the same pace as Marc Marquez and Jack Miller for most of the race.
'That's why for the riders and teams it's hard to say you have a problem because your [track] time is up and you don't know if you could have [the problem] solved with four dry sessions. Then seeing a race like Brad's who started 17th and we weren't happy. Then he finishes ninth and when you compare [the pace] with drivers who finished fourth or fifth … , in two thirds of the race you had the same pace as them. You have to swallow it and accept it,' he finished.
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