El fichaje de Lecuona está revolucionando bastante el patio. Leí tremendo artículo de periodista top del Mundial que no soy capaz de recuperar (GRRRRRRR), en el que decían que KTM ha fichado a Lecuona porque "he's an animal". Se ve que por haber pilotado sólo Supermoto hasta llegar al mundial, pilota con la rueda trasera y ha desarrollado unos superpoderes que hace que le dé igual el chatter, el subviraje o las cáscaras de plátano.
De verdad, siento no ser capaz de encontrar el artículo, estaba tremendo.
Pd: lo encontré!
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/motogp/munandar-s-death-overshadows-motogp-malaysian-grand-prixWHY DID KTM CHOOSE LECUONA? ‘BECAUSE HE’S AN ANIMAL!’
When Casey Stoner rode for Ducati his team manager Livio Suppo famously said, “I love Casey – he’s an animal!”
When I asked a top Moto2 engineer why KTM had signed a virtual unknown to its Tech 3 MotoGP team he laughed and said, “Iker is an animal!”.
Motorcycle racing is a vicious sport and requires huge amounts of aggression. This is why KTM signed Iker Lecuona, plus the fact that he is only just starting out as a roadracer and is already fighting close to the front of the Moto2 pack. Incredibly this is only the Spanish 19-year-old’s third full season as a roadracer! Before that he was Spanish Supermoto champion.
At Sepang on Sunday he fought for fourth place on a private KTM, 20 seconds ahead of the next KTM privateer.
The fact that Lecuona (pronounced ‘Laykwona’) is so aggressive on the bike appeals to KTM, which has had its best MotoGP results with Pol Espargaro, who also rides it like he stole it.
And there is something else KTM likes about the Spaniard – he may just have front-tyre skills like Marc Márquez.
“Iker rides with the rear and doesn’t care what happens with the front,” says Mathieu Grodecoeur, his Moto2 crew chief in the American Racing Moto2 squad. “The reason he is strong with the KTM Moto2 bike is that he completely ignores the front chatter and all that stuff.
They have super-rookie in Iker, who will be able tell them completely new things, because he’s never ridden this kind of bike
“When we checked his data from Phillip Island we saw he lost the front every lap at the last corner, but he didn’t mind because he just rides with the rear. He has the attitude to brake late and not really worry about the front.
“His riding style is aggressive. He hangs off a lot and makes the bike turn by himself, working a lot with his body position. I don’t expect him to be consistent in year one in MotoGP, but I think he will show some impressive results sometime.”
Lecuona rode his first Grand Prix in late 2016, then missed the start of his first full-time season in 2017 after suffering serious injuries in preseason testing.
“Since day one working with him I’ve believed in Iker’s huge, huge talent,” adds Grodecoeur. “Obviously he lacks experience in roadracing but his raw talent is incredible.
“For sure KTM’s MotoGP bike has a special DNA, so they need a rider that fits that DNA and I think he will suit the bike very well. When we jumped from Kalex to KTM at the end of 2017 Iker felt from his first lap that this bike was made for him because he can be very aggressive with it and do what he wants with it. With the Kalex you need to be more sensitive with the front and he didn’t like that so much.”
Grodecoeur also believes Lecuona will bring a fresh avenue of development to the RC16
“KTM’s 2019 line-up makes a lot of sense because they have every kind of rider. They have a very experienced MotoGP rider in Pol [Espargaro], they have a rider with one year of experience Miguel [Oliveira], they have a multiple Moto2 race winner in Brad [Binder] and they have super-rookie in Iker, who will be able tell them completely new things, because he’s never ridden this kind of bike
KTM’s MotoGP squad has been watching Lecuona since early 2018 when he fought with Brad Binder and Joan Mir at COTA. Next year he will be replaced in American Racing’s line-up by twice Moto3 race winner Marcos Ramirez