If you are wondering who else might have a powerhouse line-up in MotoGP next year, how do these four rider names sound? Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales. The first two names on this list will race for the Factory KTM team next year, while the last two have just been announced as additional KTM signings for 2025.
Bastianini and Viñales have signed multi-year deals with the MotoGP Red Bull KTM Tech3 team beginning next year. The GASGAS branding of that team has been dropped in favor of KTM.
Here is the announcement from KTM:
The Italian, 26 from Rimini, and the Spaniard, 29 from Roses, will be equipped with full-factory KTM RC16 machinery in 2025 as part of a multi-year agreement and will form a Red Bull orange quartet with stars Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta in the adjacent set-up.
Bastianini made his world championship debut ten years ago (after also ruling races in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup) with a KTM RC4. He claimed six victories and more than 30 podiums in both Moto3™ and Moto2™ through a seven-season education phase where he also improved to grasp the 2020 crown in the intermediate class. Enea entered MotoGP in 2021 at the age of 23 and has logged 5 wins and 12 podiums through the course of his three and a half years in the division to-date. Noted for his natural ability and excellence for maximizing his technical ‘package’ across the full race distance, ‘La Bestia’ will be a formidable asset for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 outfit.
Already a race winner in 2024, and the first rider in the MotoGP-era to triumph with three different brands; Maverick Viñales brings outstanding experience and talent to the team. #12 was actually KTM’s second-ever Moto3 world champion back in 2013 for what was the then-teenager’s third term in Grand Prix and a career spell where four seasons in both Moto3 and Moto2 resulted in four consecutive top-three championship finishes. He joined the premier class in 2015 and registered the first of his 10 MotoGP successes (35 podium appearances) the following campaign. Viñales has banked two championship bronze medals in his decade tenure and has won at least one Grand Prix in seven of those ten years in MotoGP. Maverick’s acute feeling, pace and fitness make him one of the leading names on the MotoGP grid.
Nicolas Goyon, Tech3 Racing MotoGP Team Manager: “We are delighted to announce that Enea and Maverick will be with us next year and we convert back to KTM. We cannot forget our first MotoGP wins were taken in orange! We cannot hide our pride that these two talented riders have decided to ride our bikes. It shows we’ve followed the right road, and our technology can fight at the front for the championship. We would like to thank Pierer Mobility AG for the quality of their support. Our collaboration has reached the top level this year and I’m sure it will keep growing in the future. We’d also like to thank Red Bull for their dedication with us. We have a clear commitment towards victory and that’s why Enea and Maverick have decided to join the program.”
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “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. 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.”
And in other news, KTM signs Dr Freud to be Mav’s full time mental coach.
Ducati is reminding me of when the Minnesota Vikings traded a lot of good players for Hershal Walker, who then stunk. What was worse is that the North Stars, the hockey team, moved to Dallas at the same time. Like Texas needs a hockey team with all the frozen water they have all over the place.
So I guess it’s time for Ducati to start a car company and then sell it to Levi’s or something similarly ridiculous.
All the Ducati models have grown in size quite a bit. I guess a car would be the logical next step.
There was me thinking this was an item about KTM…
and how many lakes are there in los angeles?
Sorry Nick. My KTM 300XC resides in Minnesota near the Duluth airport. I bought my first KTM in 1990. A 350EXC two stroke. Great woods bike. Click it in to forth gear and ride it all day.
Lakes in LA? No clue. It’s a city. I have a deep seated hatred of cities. If LA has any lakes. They are a wasted resource in a place like that. Inner city lakes are almost always completely useless. Rivers are much better for cities. They generally have far less restrictions. All of the bodies of water that I have waterskied on in cities were rivers. 100%
I wasn’t aware Mav on a team was evidence of a “powerhouse”
Well, if he is the slowest of the 4 KTM riders next year, he has still won 10 races at the MotoGP level, and is the only rider in history to win on 3 different brands. Not bad for the “slow” guy.
hailwood won the ’61 iom senior tt, which was a 500 grand prix round, on a norton. lawson won on yam/hon/cag.
Sure, he’s not total dishwater, but “powerhouse”?
Maverick is similar to Lorenzo to me. When the bike is good, he is good. When the bike is less than 100%, he falls way back. He is not as good at riding around a bike’s deficiencies as some of the other win-capable riders. KTM has a lot of work to do. Their bike has clearly lost a step to Ducati this year.
What happens with the Ducati satellite teams is becoming an interesting discussion. With the performance gap between the GP23 and GP24, all of the sudden a Ducati is no longer the “Sure thing” it was last year, when all but one Ducati mounted rider managed to win a race. If they lose Pramac to Yamaha, the Ducati factory team will likely become the only win-capable Ducati outfit overnight and the 2025 series could look very different, possibly with just two red bikes taking all of the wins between them.
IDK, isn’t kinda early in the season for all this? Lot of lame duck teams in the second half of this season.
Early or not, I think it’s all just a consequence of Ducati deciding who was going to ride alongside Pecco. Though I don’t know who knew, and when, about Martin going to Aprilia, after that, it all sort of fell into place.