Marco Bezzecchi
KTM have arguably the strongest depth of quality in their rider line-up heading into the 2025 season.
Spanish sensation Pedro Acosta has been promoted to the factory KTM team from satellite squad Tech3. The 20-year-old will partner with Brad Binder after a hugely impressive rookie season.
Tech3 team owner Herve Poncharal labelled Acosta an ‘alien’ after he grabbed five podiums and finished sixth in the standings in 2024. The Spaniard will be looking to go up another level in 2025, but he will face competition from his teammates.
Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini have joined Tech3 from the factory Aprilia and Ducati teams respectively – both are experienced riders and proven race winners.
Vinales was the only non-Ducati rider to win a race in 2024 while Bastianini finished fourth in the standings with two wins and nine podiums.
The Italian finished six points behind Marc Marquez – who took his Ducati seat next to Francesco Bagnaia. Now at Tech3, Bastianini and teammate Vinales will want to make an impression.
KTM will hand out new parts to the best-performing riders in 2025
All four KTM riders have signed factory contracts until the end of the 2026 season. Motorsport director Pit Beirer wanted to have the satellite team closer to the factory operation.
This is why KTM and Tech3 have similar liveries for the 2025 season. The latter have moved away from the red colours of GASGAS and adopted the orange and Red Bull colours of the KTM team.
With Vinales and Bastianini being factory riders alongside Acosta and Binder, they will receive equal machinery. Speaking on the Paddock Pass Podcast, Neil Morrison says new parts will be handed out to the riders who are performing the best.
This will be a concern for Acosta, who will be looking to be the main KTM rider this year. But he will have to stay on top of his game going up against Binder, Vinales and Bastianini.
“Of course, KTM when they signed both Vinales and Bastianini for Tech3 last year, said that it’s going to be four factory riders. It’s not going to be the factory team and the satellite team Tech3″, said Morrison.
“It’s going to be, OK two different garages, but all under the same umbrella and whoever is performing the best will receive the new parts first. It’s going to be system-based exactly on results and who’s doing the business at the time.
“I think that was what managed to convince the likes of Vinales and Bastianini to go to a team like Tech3”.
What Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder were told not to do at KTM’s bike launch
KTM unveiled their 2025 bikes on Thursday in what was effectively the unveiling of Acosta to the factory team. But the Spaniard has another crucial thing to worry about going into 2025.
The company finds itself in self-administration after reporting debts of around £2.5bn. Francesco Guidotti says performance is not the priority in 2025, with the main aim being to keep KTM afloat.
Acosta visited the KTM factory along with his manager to find answers to the situation. KTM have reiterated their commitment to racing but there is concern that the motorsport division could be affected by the financial crisis.
Acosta and Binder were instructed not to discuss KTM’s financial problems at the bike launch. They will have to have full focus on their duties on track as they hope to challenge at the front.
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