New Red Bull KTM MotoGP team manager Aki Ajo says the Austrian factory met its 🗹winter development plans, bringing “many new things” to a “h꧃ectic” Sepang Shakedown test.

Development of the RC16 has been ꦿin qu✃estion due to the ongoing financial turmoil at KTM.

But factory test riders Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espa✨rgaro were on track for all three days of the Shakedown, trying some visibly new p𓆉arts (such as the rear seat unit and exhaust) alongside others hidden under the skin.

“Yes, definitely,” Ajo replied during an interview with mahbx.com, when 🌌asked if winter development ha🐼d continued as usual despite the current financial issues at KTM.

“We are really happy about the development done in the factory durin🔴g the last months. We feel everything was done that was plann🥂ed - or even more.

“We had a really, really, really hectic [Shakedown] test because we had man𒆙y new things and many other things to understand, prove and check.

“Now ꧋testing continues for another three days [at the Official test] with many thing🌠s to double check.

“But for ♔me, we are at a good point at the moment.

“We still have many days of testing to do, including Buriram, but already, many positive ✱results.”

Espargaro, fastest on day one, eventually finished fifth on the S𒆙hakedown timesheets, half-a-second from Yamah𓂃a’s Fabio Quartararo. Pedrosa was ninth, 1.286s from the top.

Transponder codes suggested Espargaro was using two machines that will be handed to 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Brad Binder for the upcoming Official test, with Pedrosa on the bikes of new factory team rider 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Pedro Acosta.

Quizzed on whဣether he thin♈ks KTM can take the final step and challenge reigning MotoGP champion’s Ducati, Ajo replied:

“We are people with a racing spirit and of course we would like to win. As you said, Ducati was the be⛦nchmark and strongest before. Of course, we would like to be closer and our target is to one day be the number one.

“I think first of all we need to be positive that we are the newest manufacturer in MotoGP [2017 debut] and for the last two years 🎶we were the second-best manufacturer.

“So we need to see it in positive way, but of cour♋s💙e we want more.

“And also the competition is really tou💖gh. Many factories don▨'t have what we used to call satellite teams anymore. I would call them now second factory teams.”

Acosta proved 𓃲the strength of KTM’s second factory team,♌ Tech3, with nine podiums and only narrowly lost out to Binder for fifth in last year’s world championship.

With Acosta’s rookie season behind him, and experienced multi race-winners Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini forming the new Tech3 line💞-up, Ajo feels𒉰 KTM can also work in a slightly different way in 2025.

“When we have the chance to have riders like Maverick and Enea on board [Tech3], this also effects ou🃏r work a little bit. How we are testing and how w🐻e use it in the maximum way.

“If you have rookies onboard, it's always nice. But maybe the working style and working methods have to be a little bit different, such as te✨sting. With more experienced riders, maybe we have a chance to test [more] things and compare🗹.

“That's also one of our targets; to be even more closer, if possible, with our second factory team. When we work🃏, we will try to be like one unit.”

He added: “Basically, we have four factory riders. I already know three of them very well and with Enea we are bu🌊ilding this relationship.

“But I have worked a lot in the past with Brad, Pedro and Maverick, so of course this is positive thing. We know each other, know what to expect and already have the res♌pect of each other.”

Ajo also highlighted that prog๊ress it’s not just about the number of new parts but optimising how the🥂y are used and the way the team works.

“We are working in all areas; chassis wise, engine performance, e꧋lect🦩ronics,” he said. “But for me personally its also not only about technical details and new things. 

“My method, ൩and what I feel our leading technical persons here also have, is that it's also about understanding our package and let's say optimising our package.

“I'm talking not only about the bike and𒆙 technical de⭕tails but how people work together and especially how we bring everything for the riders and support them in the best possible way.”

The offic🐻ial Sepang test, featuring all 2025 riders, takes pl🤡ace from Wednesday to Friday.