Marc Marquez ‘doesn’t understand’ KTM MotoGP bike

The RC16 is the newest bike on the MotoGP grid, with KTM making its debut in 2017.

In the space of five years, KTM went from the back of the grid to winning races by 2020, with the marque’s tally standing at five victories following two success for Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder last season.

Despite its two wins in 2021, KTM endured a largely difficult campaign but have seemingly turned things around in 2022, with Binder fighting for victory in Qatar before finishing just shy in second having qualified seventh.

Of all the bikes on the grid, the KTM is the most different, with the RC16 the only motorcycle built around a steel trellis frame and WP suspension.

Having followed Binder for some time in the season-opening Qatar GP, six-time MotoGP world champion Marquez says the RC16 is a bike he still doesn’t understand given how differently the South African was making time from lap to lap.

“I mean, it’s the bike that I understand least,” Marquez said after finishing fifth in Qatar.

“I understood [race winner Enea] Bastianini [on his Gresini-run 2021 Ducati], the way that he rode.

“But Binder was like each lap was different.

“One lap he was going in [to the corners] very fast, next lap he was going in slower but exiting very fast.

“So, still the KTM – especially behind Binder – I don’t understand.

“But they have a good engine, he was stopping the bike a lot with the rear tyre.

“And also he was very fast at the end of the race.”

Pol Espargaro, Repsol Honda Team, Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: MotoGP

The Qatar GP threw up some interesting results, with a year-old Ducati winning the race while its 2022 factory counterparts all struggled.

The 2021 Qatar-winning manufacturer