Kallio "not happy at all" with current form on KTM
KTM MotoGP rider Mika Kallio says he is “not happy at all” with his current form after having replaced Johann Zarco in the team’s full-time rider line-up.
Having granted Zarco the request to leave the outfit after 2020, KTM then sidelined him in favour of tester Kallio ahead of the Aragon race, in order to aid its development for next year and evaluate Kallio as a potential candidate to keep the seat beyond the current season.
The 37-year-old Finn, who has been part of the Mattighofen firm’s premier-class programme from almost the very outset, was only 17th in Aragon but aimed to target points as a “minimum” going forward in the season.
Yet Kallio has not yet found a step forward in Thailand, and admitted he was far from satisfied after lapping nine tenths off teammate Pol Espargaro’s pace in Q1 to place 21st on the grid for Sunday’s race.
“Disappointed of course - I’m disappointed for my laptime, and just need to say that unfortunately I’m struggling a lot to get some grip on the rear,” Kallio explained.
“In Aragon also I didn’t feel that happy with the rear grip and now here it’s even worse than in Aragon. So we can see from the results that I’m really not there where we should be, and so not happy at all for myself at the moment.
“We need to see what we can do for tomorrow, of course we don’t have much time anymore. So it’s the [Sunday morning] warm-up where we can still try something, definitely we will try because there is nothing to lose at the moment.”
Kallio said the rear tyre issue was not manifesting itself for Espargaro or Tech 3 KTM rider Miguel Oliveira, which led him to believe it was a matter of finding the right set-up.
“Somehow we need to catch the grip - that basically means that we need to set up the bike in a different way and maybe we need to have a little bit more weight transfer, generally on the bike, to the front, to the rear,” Kallio said.
“Basically the only option for me at the moment is to ride with the soft rear tyre. When I tried the harder ones it was really a disaster for me, so that also proves something that we are not pushing the tyre in a correct way.
“So that’s a little bit the question mark. It seems like Pol and also Miguel didn’t complain that much, so it’s somehow coming from my riding and my set-up on the bike. So we need to investigate a little bit more to be sure what we do for tomorrow.
“But, yeah, disappointed like I said, because also for sure I wanted to give something more for KTM. No one is happy at the moment.”
Previous article
Thailand MotoGP: Quartararo bags pole despite crash
Next article
Marquez knew about "big chance" of a crash in qualifying
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Thailand GP |
| Drivers | Mika Kallio |
| Teams | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing |
| Author | Valentin Khorounzhiy |
How Jerez underlined MotoGP's speed problem
The brutal nature of a series of crashes at Jerez has reopened the debate about whether current MotoGP speeds are beyond the safety limits of the tracks. But even if riders are supportive of the move, getting the manufacturers to find a consensus on how speed reductions should be achieved may be altogether harder
How a Crutchlow helped Miller to Jerez MotoGP redemption
Jack Miller’s tough start to life as a factory Ducati MotoGP rider left him mentally battered and bruised, but a pep talk and positive reinforcement from a surprising source aided the Australian to show his full potential with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix
What does Marc Marquez have to do to get back to his best?
Following his resounding MotoGP return with a seventh place finish in Portugal, Marc Marquez now must work to rediscover his best form before turning his attention towards results-based targets
How Yamaha's rookie-spec MotoGP star is taking charge
Fabio Quartararo is on a roll in 2021 after storming to victory at a venue five months earlier served up one of his worst races. Contrasting Portuguese GPs for Yamaha's factory duo make it hard to understand just how good its 2021 MotoGP bike is, but the Portimao weekend did at least expose one key improvement compared to 2020
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come...
Where does Espargaro sit ahead of Marquez's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
