A potent rider line-up and fresh colour scheme for the bikes will mark a new era for KTM’s MotoGP factory presence on the world scene in 2025.
The re-branded Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad will complement the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team with two stellar names in Grand Prix winners Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales,
Bastianini, the 26-year-old from Rimini in Italy, and 29-year-old Spanish rider Viñales, 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 will be moving over from the Ducati Lenovo Team, while Viñales leaves the Aprilia Racing Team to join KTM from next season. Bastianini is currently fourth in the 2024 MotoGP standings and Viñales is ranked sixth and the next event in the series, round eight, is at Assen, in The Netherlands, on the weekend of June 28-30.
Bastianini made his world championship debut 10 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.
Bastianini 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; Viñales brings outstanding experience and talent to the team.
He 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 10 years in MotoGP. Maverick’s acute feeling, pace and fitness make him one of the leading names on the MotoGP grid.
KTM Motorsports director Pit Beirer said: “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.”
Photo courtesy Philip Platze
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Leading MotoGP World Championship standings after round 7:
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