Moto3: Niccolò Antonelli still "ballasted"

Niccolò Antonelli was undoubtedly one of the protagonists of the recent Moto3 tests. The rider from Cattolica rode his KTM from the Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 always in the top positions and is one of the favorites for the 2014 title.

Contrary to what one might think, Antonelli still has a burden that certainly doesn't help him. The same is 6 kg and leads to the minimum weight imposed by the regulations for the "Cinderella" of the world championship. Here are the words of Stefano Riminucci, his crew chief, in this regard.

“Together with Niccolò we decided to tackle these February tests in conditions similar to those we will find during the race weekends: contrary to what one might think, we have always used ballast (Niccolò uses ballast to reach the minimum weight imposed by the regulation). 6 kg) and above all we used a limited number of tyres, taking into account that only a certain quantity will be supplied during the Grand Prix. The results were very positive, because Antonelli always lapped consistently even with used tyres, and this aspect is fundamental in view of the races. Our work spanned multiple fronts, but we focused above all on the chassis, testing different suspension solutions at both the front and rear. In particular, in the next tests we will test a new rear suspension linkage, which KTM will create based on our needs. In fact, Niccolò adopts a riding style that carries a lot of speed in the center of the curve, so he needs a certain type of support from the rear suspension, which the KTM, as it is conceived, does not offer. However, the potential of the bike is very high and we are satisfied with the support that the company is providing us. For the rest, we tried various ballast positions to modify the weight balance and various engine braking adjustments, for which we believe there is still some margin. Finally, in Jerez in March we would also like to carry out a race simulation.”