The collaboration between Red Bull and KTM is becoming more and more visible: in the MotoGP shakedown that is underway in Sepang we saw some interesting solutions on the RC16 that Dani Pedrosa tested. The objective is to seek aerodynamic load while the bike is upright: it should therefore not be surprising to see a “nose” appear which protrudes from the front mudguard and opens into a small wing with two elements.
The experts were not surprised by this aerodynamic novelty, because in fact it replicates in an imaginative way the concept that had been introduced by Aprilia with the fins on the fork which were then also taken up by Ducati. The biplane wing appears to be placed in an area of the bike that is very efficient and, therefore, should give good downforce results when the two-wheeler is straight, while it risks increasing understeer when the RC16 is leaning.
Dani Pedrosa, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing with the triple rear wing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
It is interesting to note how the same concept can be evolved with very different forms, demonstrating how important aerodynamic research has become. The KTM also stands out in the rear axle: in the tail, in fact, you can't help but notice the complex rear wing designed to increase the load when braking.
The Austrian technicians made the most of the regulatory box in which there is the freedom to draw profiles. And once again the influence of F1 is felt, given the complexity of three elements composed in a well-studied sequence.
If others have invested in the development of the fins at the edges of the tail (Honda tested three with Stefan Bradl), the Austrian manufacturer has also proposed lateral blowings which allow better air filling of the flaps, transferring the sophistication of the F1. Let's prepare ourselves, therefore, for a season in which motorbikes will often be able to change their face, leaving a lot of room for imagination.
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