KTM impressed in MotoGP and contended strongly in Moto2, but they took their eye off the ball in the small-capacity class after winning three of the first five four-stroke crowns.
The Austrian brand won only one race in 2017 (Andrea Migno at Mugello) while Honda romped to a series of front-row and podium lock-outs, and ran away with the first seven places in the championship.
And running away at the top of the Honda fight was Joan Mir. In only his second full season, the highly fancied 20-year-old Spaniard surpassed compatriot Marquez by scoring ten wins for the season.
Since Mir’s wins came out of trademark massive brawls, they required not just speed but also a great tactical brain. Over and over again.
Mir amassed a record 341 points, almost 100 more than the runner-up, Italian veteran Romano Fenati.
Another Spaniard, Aron Canet, took two wins and finished third in the final standings, but perhaps the unluckiest rider of the year was Jorge Martin, who had a record nine pole starts, but endured a bad leg fracture mid-season and had a long wait – until the final race of the season – for his maiden victory.
Spaniards and Italians filled the first six places in the final championship standings.
Next year Mir moves up to Moto2, and surely we will see KTM fight back.
Read MotoGP Wrap: http://amcn.com.au/editorial/hair-raising-motogp-season/
Read Moto2 Wrap: http://amcn.com.au/editorial/24255/
By Michael Scott
