Rossi: KTM “can fight” for 2020 MotoGP title
Valentino Rossi believes KTM “can fight for the championship for sure” in 2020 a week after Brad Binder too the marque’s maiden MotoGP victory at the Czech Grand Prix.


Rookie Binder guided his RC16 to a dominant 5.2-second win at Brno last Sunday to score his and KTM’s first victory just four years into the marque’s tenure in the MotoGP World Championship.
Binder’s win moves him into fifth in the standings, 31 points adrift of Fabio Quartararo, while KTM sits second in the manufacturers’ table, 26 down on Yamaha.
When asked if he thought KTM could be genuine title contenders in an odd year in MotoGP - in which reigning champion Marc Marquez is currently out injured and the shorter calendar features multiple events at the same circuit - Rossi believes the strength of its line-up makes it a threat.
“Yes, I think why not, because their improvement compared to last year is impressive and KTM has put a big effort into its MotoGP programme,” Rossi said.
“Already at Jerez they were competitive and at Brno I think that without the crash of Pol [Espargaro] they could have arrived first and second.
“They are very strong, maybe they are the favourite here [at Red Bull Ring] because already last year for example Miguel [Oliveira] did a very good race.
“They have a minimum of three riders that are in great shape and ride strong. So, they can fight for the championship for sure.”
Read Also:
Current points leader Quartararo says the next four races being double-headers at Red Bull Ring and at Misano, where KTM has had recent test experience with its race riders, puts the Austrian marque in a strong position.
“Yeah, of course,” he said when asked if KTM are title contenders.
“I think, first of all from... not only from Brad’s win, but Miguel in Jerez was fifth on the grid, he was really fast and then I think they also have some tests here in Austria where we have two races.
“Then also in Misano [they tested] where we have two races.
“So, first of all I think the bike is going really well, but also the next four races they have already some laps with the new bike and I think the potential of the riders is really high.
“So, I think they will fight for really good position in the championship and all the next races.”

Espargaro “disappointed” KTM beat Aprilia to first MotoGP win
MotoGP riders concerned about riding in the wet

Latest news
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
The MotoGP rookie fighting two fronts in his debut year
Darryn Binder has found himself in the unenviable position as MotoGP's most under-pressure rookie in 2022 having made the step directly from Moto3 with a reputation as an over-aggressive rider. This hasn't been an easy thing to shake at the start of the season, but he believes tangible progress is being made
How ‘Beast’ mode is putting Ducati in 2022 MotoGP title contention
Enea Bastianini’s second win of the 2022 campaign at COTA puts him back in the lead of the standings and once again showed the best Ducati package is still the 2021 bike. Those closest to Bastianini tell Motorsport.com why he’s so good on the GP21 relative to his factory counterparts.
How Espargaro helped Aprilia shed MotoGP's underdog tag
Aleix Espargaro became MotoGP's newest winner in a thrilling Argentina Grand Prix in which he also proved the merits of the Aprilia project. After six years of hard graft, both parties have reaped the rewards they have long thought they deserved. But it was several key moments in that journey that led both to that momentous Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo.