until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
KTM has announced the signing of both Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales into its satellite Tech3 MotoGP team for the 2025 season.
Both Bastianini and Vinales have joined Herve Poncharal's squad on multi-year deals following their respective exits from Ducati and Aprilia’s factory squads.
The news of Bastianini’s signing comes as no surprise given that his manager Carlo Pernat had been openly linking him to Tech3 since Bastianini became third-in-line for his current Ducati works ride behind Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin - with Marquez ultimately getting the nod.
However, Vinales' arrival is more startling - given his supposedly close links to Aprilia since he defected from Yamaha halfway through the 2021 season - but may be fuelled in part by Aprilia having landed Martin as its star signing.
The Austrian factory’s satellite team will also be rebranded once again, switching back to KTM orange after two seasons sporting the colour of Spanish sister brand Gas Gas, a decision that KTM head of motorsport Pit Beirer suggested is to reinforce the factory-backed credentials of the squad.
“We’re very happy we could bring both Enea and Maverick into our MotoGP project and give them full factory backing and support to keep following their goals and to reach their maximum performance,” said Beirer.
“It’s clear we are talking about two of the fastest riders in the world right now and it is a compliment that they trust us and the first-class operation we’ve created together with Red Bull KTM Tech3.
“The team’s label for 2025 says it all: it is time to strengthen the KTM name again and we couldn’t think of a better way to bring this kind of value to the company than for Enea and Maverick to go full Red Bull orange. Let’s push on for the rest of 2024 now and then look forward to this new start for next year.”
The decision to sign Bastianini is on paper a very smart one, given his title-fighting credentials of late and the fact last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix winner will have been available for something of a bargain price following Ducati's choice of Marquez as his replacement.
Vinales is something of a stranger choice given what we’ve seen from him in the past. Taking the best part of two full seasons to make the adaptation from Yamaha to Aprilia following his switch, that process should be somewhat streamlined this time around at KTM considering he’s moving from one V4 machine to another.
The news also means that there’s now no place within the KTM ranks next year for either current factory racer Jack Miller, who has been linked to a move to Ducati’s World Superbike outfit should reigning champion Alvaro Bautista retire at the end of 2024, or 2022 Moto2 world champion Augusto Fernandez.
KTM has Brad Binder on board until 2026 and announced its rookie sensation Pedro Acosta - who is fifth in the 2024 points standings with two grands prix podiums to his name - would step up from Tech3 to its main squad for 2025 at the start of the month.
