Test rider Dani Pedrosa has been credited by MotoGP riders both inside and outside of KTM for play🐠ing a key role in turning the fact💮ory's RC16 into a race-winning machine.

After 31 MotoGP victories, the most for any rider without a premier-class title, over eleven seasons at Repsol Honda, Pedrosa retired from competition at the end of 2018 and was swiftly snapped-up for t🅰esting duties at KTM.

Some doubted the d𝕴ecision, saying Pedrosa's small size required a unique set-up and riding style that wouldn't translate into progres⛦s for other riders and might even lead the Austrian factory astray.

KTM race manager M♐ike Leitner took the opposite approach, believing that since the 1.60m/51kg Spaniard cannot physically muscle the bike around, he is extra-sensitive when it comes to finding the best set-up and behaviour.

Leitner should know, of course, having served as Pedrosa's crew chief from his f🅠irst 250cc season in 2004, through until the end of the 2014 MotoGP campaign.

"I think such he's such an experienced MotoGP rider and꧃ where Dani is really good is that he's not only looking for a lap time," Leitner said.

"I mean the guy, in his brain - and this he had to have in his career because he's a very small r⛎ider and only had a certain amount of energy💜 for a race - he's really looking at what makes the change for the race distance.

"On♋ that point he's really, really good. Many people learn a lot from him."

The 🌜RC16 has become noticeably tamer since Pedrosa's arrival - the smoother ride, combined with better turning, also aiding tyre life and helping maintain p🧸ace to the chequered flag.

KTM took its f🎐irst MotoGP win with Brad Binder last season, followed by two more victories for Tech3's Miguel Oliveira. Pol Espargaro added five podium finishe✱s.

'We try to improve from both sides'

The RC16 developmen🎉t process involves a tidal flow of informationౠ back-and-forth between Pedrosa and KTM.

While the 35-year-old is often asked to deli𒉰ver a verdict on new parts or ideas conceived entirely in the factory or in response to requests made by the race riders, the situation is then reversed when Pedrosa acts as the starting point for areas of the bike he wants engineers to 'target'.

"It's two completely different targets," Leitner confirmed. "I mean, of course you bring new parts to test and ask Dani exactly about the feeling or what impression 🅘he has about them.

"But after riding the bike and doing the tests he also impresses on us from his side what he woul💃d target. So it is always a combination between the rider input and the ideas people have in the company.

"We try to improve from both sides.

"We have many good designers and engineers, so they bring also a lot of ideas to the track that none of the riders have requested. Then there ꧑are other parts we bring, which are in answer to the requests from tꦿhe riders.

"In෴ this point Dani is doing a really good job, being alwa𓄧ys very honest.

"It's not always easy to work with people - let's say, you can imagine if you are a young designer or engineer, you work for one month on one specific part. You bring it to test, you are so pumped about it and then the first thing the rider tells you wh🌳en he comes back into the garage is it's better you put it in the bin or something!

"But Dani does it in a very good way. Very straight and very honest. I think now after two years of testin✃g all the people in KTM understand him very well and can work from his comments better and better.

"It's a good combination, that's been growing in these last two years.🌺"

Both Pedrosa and fellow test rider Mika Kallio (who acts as the team's offi𓂃cial substitute rider) have🅰 been retained by KTM for the 2021 season.

Wit💛h KTM having lost technical concessions due to last year's success, they are no longer able to 🅰conduct private testing with race riders and will thus be relying on Pedrosa and Kallio more than ever for development duties.