Marco Bezzecchi
The KTM MotoGP team is in a critical situation. They may drop off the grid as early as 2026.
KTM have announced that they will unveil their 2025 bike on 30 January, alongside satellite team Tech3. That effectively confirms their participation in this year’s world championship.
But beyond that, their future is in serious doubt. The manufacturer are facing debts of €2.7bn (around £2.2bn).
KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer recently revealed that the company had held talks with Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton over an investment deal. The seven-time world champion’s camp have yet to respond.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari could smooth out any KTM deal, potentially removing sponsorship clashes. Beirer’s squad have a partnership with Red Bull, while Hamilton was aligned with Monster Energy before leaving Mercedes.
Without significant external assistance, the team may have no choice but to withdraw from MotoGP. KTM couldn’t even pay their staff on time at the end of last year.
Lewis Hamilton ‘doesn’t have the money’ to save KTM MotoGP team
Speaking on The Race MotoGP podcast, journalist Simon Patterson declared there was ‘not a chance’ Hamilton could save KTM. Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest athletes, he simply doesn’t have the resources to do so.
Instead, Hamilton may demand that Beirer’s team walk away ahead of the 2027 regulation changes. He would provide the money to keep them on the grid for the next two years as a ‘remnant team’.
Patterson suggested they could leave in the same manner as Kawasaki in 2009. They ran their bikes under the guise of Hayate that year after announcing their exit.
Rather than bailing out KTM, Hamilton’s main interest may be the ‘grid spots’ he could control for 2027. He could then theoretically attract a new manufacturer to the sport.
Patterson said: “Not a chance. Lewis Hamilton doesn’t have saving KTM money. He’s got a lot of money, but he doesn’t have the money they need to fix this problem.
“The only which I can see Lewis Hamilton getting seriously involved in this is if we’re going to see a KTM remnant team for the next two seasons, with a really strong commitment not to go racing in 2027. Like Kawasaki did in their last year of existence.
“Almost more importantly than getting a foot in the door, he gets grid spots. He would own the grid spots going forward. That allows you to do whatever you want in 2027, and recruit a new manufacturer.”
Why KTM may be hoping Liberty Media’s MotoGP bid collapses
While the job losses would of course be more significant, KTM’s departure would arguably come at the worst time in a sporting sense. They’ve just welcomed a truly generational talent to the sport in Pedro Acosta.
The Spaniard produced a magnificent rookie season, scoring five podiums and a first-ever pole position. If the KTM factory team drops off the grid, the other manufacturers will swoop in almost immediately.
It seems counterintuitive given that they’ve brought financial stability to F1, but KTM may need Liberty’s MotoGP takeover to fail. In theory, Dorna could use their compensation to save the team, and one would imagine they’d be inclined to do so.
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