Marco Bezzecchi
Enea Bastianini will embark on a new adventure in MotoGP in 2025 as a Tech3 rider.
The Italian joins KTM on a factory contract until 2026 and will race with the satellite Tech3 team this season. Bastianini will be teamed up with Maverick Vinales who moves over from the factory Aprilia team.
The 27-year-old finished fourth in the standings in 2024 with two wins and nine podiums on his factory Ducati. But he was unable to keep up with title protagonists Jorge Martin and teammate Francesco Bagnaia.
Bastianini was 122 points behind champion Martin and six behind third-place Marc Marquez – who has taken his Ducati seat for 2025 next to Bagnaia.
Heading into this season, the Italian will have to get accustomed to new machinery and a new team. But he is already being given a helping hand by an experienced head.
Dani Pedrosa’s ‘vision’ will help Enea Bastianini to adapt to the KTM bike in 2025
Bastianini will have tested KTM machinery at the post-season test in Barcelona in November. He is set to get back on track on February 5-7 in the Official test in Sepang, Malaysia ahead of the season opener later that month.
Tech3’s 2025 challenger was unveiled in conjunction with KTM on Thursday, with all four RC16s striking similar liveries as the teams move towards a factory operation.
READ MORE: Maverick Vinales issues one-word reaction to divisive Tech3 livery for 2025 MotoGP season
Bastianini may initially struggle to adapt to the KTM bike, but in his own words, the 27-year-old will have ‘incredible’ support from experienced test riders Pol Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa.
The latter was runner-up in MotoGP in 2007, 2010 and 2012 with Honda. Speaking with journalist Giovanni Zamagni on the #ZamTube YouTube channel, Bastianini shared how Pedrosa helped him understand the bike in testing.
“Obviously it will be important to talk to the testers also because they are very strong testers”, he said.
“So, the fact of having Pol, to have Dani, it’s something incredible because they are two very, very fast riders who could still have their say even in the race.
“With Dani, we also spoke during the test and it helps a lot to have a vision like his and surely it will be able to help us a lot in adapting to the bike, to try to understand, let’s say the areas where we will suffer a little more and those that obviously we will do better”.
Why Tech3 were worried about signing Enea Bastianini
KTM have arguably the strongest depth in their rider line-up in 2025. Bastianini and Vinales join Brad Binder – a Grand Prix winner and Pedro Acosta, who is MotoGP’s hottest young prospect.
Tech3 were worried they could not live up to Bastianini’s standards before they tempted him away from Ducati. But the Italian seems happy to be with the KTM family.
It is rumoured that Bastianini signed a relatively small financial deal with KTM before he found out about the team’s ongoing crisis off the track. This will ease some of the pressure off the manufacturer.
But there will be concerns over the RC16’s performance. Herve Poncharal says Bastianini and Vinales will have total parity with Binder and Acosta in testing, giving them a great chance to prove their experience.
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