Everything you need to know about the KTM Tech3 MotoGP team including current riders and history

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Tech3 are one of the premier satellite teams on the MotoGP grid and currently enjoy factory status in partnership with KTM, whom they also operate in Moto3 alongside.

Privateer teams are rarely as strong in the premier class as Tech3, who cherished an 18-year association with Yamaha before stunning the MotoGP paddock ahead of the 2019 campaign by moving to KTM Factory Racing. It made Tech3 the first-ever satellite KTM MotoGP squad.

Tech3 and Yamaha had been as one from the very start of the French crew’s life in the 500cc world championship in 2001. But KTM offering team owner Herve Poncharal a chance to get factory machinery was impossible to turn down having dreamt of it for Tech3 since the start.

Yamaha rarely viewed Tech3 as anything more than just a satellite MotoGP crew who leased their bikes. Tech3 also started the MotoGP era in 2002 running Yamaha’s old 500cc bike and only received the Japanese brand’s four-stroke M1 for the new era in the final three rounds.

The YZR500 that Yamaha supplied Tech3 in the 2001 season also returned their first premier class podium when Shinya Nakano came third in the Grand Prix of Germany. Tech3 then had to wait until Alex Barros came third in the 2003 Grand Prix of France to return to a rostrum.

Being supported by Yamaha would see Marco Melandri ride for Tech3 in the 2004 season as the Italian was transferred over on the arrival of Valentino Rossi in the factory squad. But an array of late-season DNFs would overshadow his podiums in Catalunya and the Netherlands.

Tech3 would also go on to run several past and future World Superbike champions including Carlos Checa, Sylvain Guintoli, Colin Edwards and Ben Spies. Snapping Edwards up even put Tech3 back on a podium after a four-year wait, with rostrums at Le Mans and Assen in 2008.

Yet while podiums then became slightly more frequent, with Andrea Dovizioso even taking six in the 2012 season to also come fourth in the riders’ championship, Tech3 had to wait for the 2020 Grand Prix of Styria to score their first MotoGP race win thanks to Miguel Oliveira.

Oliveira put a Tech3 bike on the top step of a podium at the 373rd time of asking. Tech3 had scooped 31 premier class podiums before the Portuguese triumphed at the Red Bull Ring in the team’s second year with KTM bikes. Oliveira also only led the race out of the final corner.

So, with that in mind, MotoGP News takes a look at everything that you need to know about Tech3 from the French outfit’s current riders to the satellite KTM crew’s team management.

Tech3 MotoGP team name

Tech3 currently race in MotoGP as Red Bull KTM Tech3 owing to their partnership with KTM Factory Racing. The Austrian outfit rebranded Tech3 ahead of the 2025 season to create a distinguishable difference between their full-blown KTM Factory Racing squad and Tech3.

KTM accepted the crew created a bit of confusion by trying to differentiate the factory team from Tech3 by labelling the latter as Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 after another of the motorcycle brands within the Pierer Mobility Group. Running as GASGAS made Tech3 look like a B-team.

It was also unclear whether Tech3 were a KTM team or a GASGAS team across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, with the naming rights promoting the latter but racing bikes from the former. So, in agreement with Red Bull, KTM removed GASGAS from Tech3’s name to promote KTM.

Tech3 MotoGP founding year

Herve Poncharal, with Guy Coulon and Bernard Martignac, founded Tech3 in 1989 initially to race in the 250cc championship. A decade in the intermediate class then laid the foundation for Tech3 to graduate to the 500cc class in 2001 ahead of its rebranding as MotoGP for 2002.

Tech3 MotoGP current riders

As Tech3 operate as a second factory KTM team in MotoGP, the Austrian squad even control both of the French outfit’s bikes. So, Tech3 currently run factory KTM contracted pilots Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales as their two full-time riders for the 2025 MotoGP campaign.

Tech3 current MotoGP team manager and leadership hierarchy

Herve Poncharal sold his stake in the team at the end of 2025 to former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner.

Ahead of the 2026 season, it was announced that Alpine Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly was part of the group of investors behind the Steiner-led acquisition of the team from Poncharal.

Nicolas Goyon holds the position of team manager in 2023, which saw his promotion from a long-time Tech3 engineer who first joined the squad in 2003.

Tech3 are a MotoGP satellite team of KTM

Tech3 are officially a satellite MotoGP team but their status within the KTM stable makes the French squad a second factory entry. KTM re-branded Tech3 from the 2025 season after two years in GASGAS red amid a desire for an indistinguishable difference between the two.

Which bike does Tech3 run in the 2025 MotoGP season?

KTM Factory Racing supply Tech3 with two of the Austrian crew’s factory-specification RC16 bikes for use in the 2025 MotoGP season. The RC16 first appeared on a premier class grid in 2016 and has a 1,000cc four-stroke 86° V4 engine. Tech3 aid KTM in developing the RC16.

Tech3 MotoGP team lineage

The team lineage of Tech3 runs solely through the French outfit after Herve Poncharal, Guy Coulon and Bernard Martignac sought out to enter the 250cc championship from the 1990 season. Olivier Jacque also won the 250cc title in 2000 to get Tech3’s image to new heights.

Tech3 MotoGP riders’ championships

As of the time of writing, the Tech3 MotoGP team are still yet to help any pilot win a riders’ championship in the premier class. Andrea Dovizioso secured the highest finish by a Tech3 pilot in the MotoGP riders’ championship to date during the 2012 season with fourth place.

Tech3 MotoGP teams’ championships

As of the time of writing, the Tech3 MotoGP team are still yet to win a teams’ championship title in the premier class. But Tech3 have often been one of the leading independent teams on a MotoGP grid since their premier class debut, including claiming third in 2012 and 2013.

Tech3 factory base

Tech3 operate out of the outfit’s factory in Bormes-Les-Mimosas – a commune in Provence, southeastern France. It has remained Tech3’s base since the squad made their debut in the world championship in the 250cc class, making them the only French crew in MotoGP now.

Factory address

KTM Tech3: 525 Chemin du Neil, 83 230 Bormes-Les-Mimosas, Provence, France