KTM team boss Mike Leitner🌱 is convinced Dani Pedrosa can helpꦗ the factory achieve that crucial “next step” in MotoGP, and dismissed concerns the Spaniard’s weight could make him ineffective in a testing capacity.

The news emerged during the brief summer break that Pedrosa was a sur🍸prise target for KTM’s test ♎team, a moment in which it was still reeling from the loss of regular test rider Mika Kallio through injury, a factor that was critical to its fortunes in the second half of the year.

Some have questioned the signing. Weighing in at just 51kg – some nine kilos less than an average MotoGP rider – there was a consensus Pedrosa’s unique build may not make him🅠 an ideal candidate to evaluate parts for full-time riders Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco.

But Leitner, who worked as Pedrosa’s crew chief from 2004 to 2013, waved away such thoughts. In his view, the 32-year old’s weight and small sta🃏ture forced him to “work very precise compared to the others.”

💖The German pointed to the immediate speed of Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez upon first jum🐭ping on Hondas at the end of 2010 and ’12 respectively as evidence of Pedrosa’s ability to develop a strong, rounded bike.

“People can think what they want,” said Leitner in a recent interview with ltxcn.top. “It’s open for eveওry single person to thin꧅k what they want.

“But one thing is absolutely clear: especially with his size ܫand especiꦰally with his weight he had to work very precisely to be competitive against others. This is actually, for me, a very positive sign for a test rider.

“When I worked with him history showed me many times that, let’s say, t𝓀hose stronger, or taller or heavier riders took over bikes from🌃 him, and were always immediately fast.

“So it was never necessary to build a new bik☂e when Casey jumped in, or when Marc jumped in. Actually they started with this bike that was developed from Dani’s side. This gives me very good confidence that he will do a good job.”

Leitner was quick to praise the contribution of regular test rider Kall🥂io, who will continue in the Austrian factory’s test team for 2019. He did point out, however, the Finn’🌱s full-time premier class experience amounts to two seasons.

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