Marco Bezzecchi
KTM have bolstered their rider line-up for the 2025 MotoGP season by poaching factory riders from Ducati and Aprilia.
Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales have signed for the Austrian manufacturer’s satellite outfit Tech3. The duo will replace Jack Miller and Augustin Fernandez, with the former heading to Yamaha satellite outfit Pramac.
Pedro Acosta replaces Miller at the factory KTM outfit to partner Brad Binder. The Spaniard was hugely impressive in his rookie season with Tech3 as he scored five podiums and finished sixth in the standings.
KTM boast a strong line-up in their factory outfit. With the team’s aspirations of winning the title in the next few years, they have also sought to strengthen their Tech3 line-up.
Bastianini joins the team after winning two races and finishing fourth in the standings with Ducati. However, the relationship may already be tense after Bastianini’s former manager Carlo Pernat said someone at KTM behaved badly in negotiations.
Vinales completes an experienced and talented rider pairing after moving from Aprilia. All four KTM riders have signed factory contracts that run until the end of 2026.
Massimo Rivola says he prefers to build rather than ‘steal’ from his rivals in response to Pit Beirer swipe
In a season dominated by Ducati, Vinales was the only rider outside of the Bologna-based manufacturer to win a race in 2024. The Spaniard claimed victory in Austin for Aprilia.
While the Noale-based outfit managed to grab a win, they lost out on second place to KTM in the Constructors’ Championship – making their signing of Vinales all the more painful.
Acosta may have tempted Vinales to join KTM after the 30-year-old saw the rookie perform the way he did on the RC16 in 2024. Motorsport director Pit Beirer says Vinales thought he could be successful if his fellow compatriot could be as well.
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Speaking on episode two of MotoGP’s documentary series There Can Be Only One, Beirer discussed the signings of Vinales and Bastianini. The Austrian could not resist taking a dig at his rivals about stealing their riders.
“I took from each of them a rider. We took Maverick and Enea, so I took what I think made us better for next year”, he said.
While Ducati boss Luigi Dall’Igna simply responded: “I guess he’s right”’, Aprilia chief Massimo Rivola had a fiery response as he highlighted he preferred to ‘build’ rather than ‘steal’.
“I like to build more than steal from the others”, he said.
Can KTM’s riders be successful in 2025 amid their financial crisis?
KTM ‘s rider line-up is exciting for the next two seasons. But whether they can succeed has been thrown into question amid the company’s desperate financial situation.
Reporting debts of £2.5bn, the manufacturer is at risk of falling out of MotoGP entirely. However, KTM have stressed they will continue racing in 2026 and beyond.
The team are currently in the process of restructuring to keep their doors open, which has included the departure of CEO Stefan Pierer. Journalist Simon Patterson believes Pierer’s exit is ‘good news’ for KTM as he was not the man to lead them out of the mess he put them in.
There are concerns – particularly from Acosta – that the motorsport division will be affected by the financial situation. Francesco Guidotti says performance is not the priority for KTM in 2025, which will worry the Spaniard about his title chances.
The 20-year-old will be the hottest free agent on the rider market if he is to leave KTM. If that happens, Michelle Pirro wants to tempt Acosta to join Ducati.
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