Dani Pedrosa marked his KTM X-BOW GT2 debut with an impressive performance in the Fanatec GT2 European Series. Despite the difficult conditions, the Spaniard left some of his more experienced competitors behind him to finish seventh in the Pro-Am classification together with KTM Executive Board member Hubert Trunkenpolz. Other KTM teams collected some valuable points and celebrated podium finishes in Valencia.
“I am very happy with my first race in the GT2 category,” said Pedrosa. “I was really looking forward to driving the X-BOW and I was by no means disappointed. The more time I spent in the car the more comfortable I felt. All in all, the weekend was a lot of fun, even though the conditions on Sunday couldn’t have been more difficult.”
The MotoGPTM test driver for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is referring to the wet weather that dominated the tenth race of the season. “We started on cold slicks on a wet surface,” Pedrosa said. “Not making a mistake and bringing the car home safely was my top priority.” The 37-year-old succeeded, handing over the #17 KTM X-BOW GT2 to Hubert Trunkenpolz at the midway point. Trunkenpolz, a member of the KTM Executive Board, picked up where Pedrosa left off and was full of praise for his Spanish teammate: “Dani can be really proud of his performance. He was a real asset to the team throughout the weekend and clearly demonstrated that he can represent KTM on both two wheels and four.”
Highs and lows in the championship battle for Rosina and Saelens
For Stefan Rosina and Nicolas Saelens in the #15 KTM X-BOW GT2, the weekend was the perfect encapsulation of the highs and lows of motorsport. The pair, who are battling for the championship, made up some valuable ground on Saturday with a fourth-place finish. On Sunday, however, their race was over prematurely: “The racing line was dry, but on either side of it the surface was wet and slippery,” explained Saelens. “So we had to take a lot of risks to overtake. After a safety car period, I misjudged a move and ended up going off track.” Saelens lost a number of positions after the error. Another incident with a competitor a couple of laps later then put an end to the #15’s race.
Double podium in the Am class
A win and a second place gave Klaus Angerhofer and Sehdi Sarmini a strong points haul from the Valencia weekend, marking a continuation of their recent good form. On both occasions they were trailed by Jan Krabec in the KTM X-BOW GT2 of customer team RTR Projects. Both Angerhofer and Krabec have cemented their positions in the championship following their recent successes. Ahead of the season finale in Le Castellet, France, only a handful of points separates the pair at the top of the championship table.
Third place for MZR on GT2 debut
Motorsport Zentrum Ried made their Fanatec GT2 European Series debut at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Martin Koch’s team made use of their KTM X-BOW GT2 and were promptly rewarded with a podium finish. With the support of works driver Reinhard Kofler, the team bagged a third-place finish on Sunday after fighting their way through the field. MZR’s entry brought the total number of KTM cars in the championship to five – more than any other manufacturer.
The season finale takes place from 6 to 7 October at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France.