Piaggio Group
KTM announced on Thursday that Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini will join the newly renamed Red Bull KTM Tech3 MotoGP team in 2025.
This news comes after several changes in the 2025 rider market.
With the confirmation of rookie Pedro Acosta riding for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team alongside Brad Binder, KTM also confirmed that Tech3 will have factory KTM RC16 machines in a long-term agreement. This will create a four-member team, with Vinales and Bastianini.
Bastianini, a successful rider with Ducati, has been looking for a new team after Marc Marquez took his place in the Ducati factory team for 2025 and beyond.
Meanwhile, Vinales, who has won Grand Prix races with Suzuki, Yamaha, and Aprilia, decided to leave Aprilia after joining them halfway through the 2021 season.
As a result, the Noale factory is now looking for a second rider to join Jorge Martin next season, following Aleix Espargaro’s retirement plans.
Both of KTM’s recent acquisitions have previously competed with the manufacturer, with Bastianini making his debut in World Championship competition with the brand and Vinales winning the 2013 Moto3 championship on a KTM bike.
“We are excited to announce that Enea and Maverick will be joining us next year when we return to KTM,” said Nicolas Goyon, team manager of Tech3 Racing MotoGP. “We can’t forget that our first MotoGP victories were achieved with the orange bikes! We are proud that these two talented riders have chosen to ride our bikes. This demonstrates that we have chosen the right path and that our technology can compete at the forefront of the championship. We would like to express our gratitude to Pierer Mobility AG for their exceptional support. Our collaboration has reached new heights this year and we are confident that it will continue to flourish in the future. We would also like to thank Red Bull for their unwavering commitment to us. Our shared dedication to victory is the reason why Enea and Maverick have decided to join our program.”
Pit Beirer, Motorsport Director of KTM, added: “We are extremely pleased to have both Enea and Maverick joining our MotoGP project and providing them with full factory support to help them achieve their goals and reach their full potential. It is evident that we are talking about two of the fastest riders in the world at the moment, and this is a testament to their confidence in us and the exceptional operation we have built in partnership with Red Bull KTM Tech3. The team’s motto for 2025 says it all: it’s time to strengthen the KTM name once again, and there is no better way to add value to the company than to have Enea and Maverick wearing the Red Bull orange. We will continue to fight for the rest of 2024 and look forward to this new beginning next year.”
Following KTM’s announcement, Jack Miller and Agusto Fernandez are now seeking new teams for the upcoming season.
