Marco Bezzecchi
Maverick Vinales made the brave decision to leave Aprilia’s factory team after three years with the Italian manufacturer.
It took them until their third season together to achieve their first victory at the Grand Prix of the Americas.
Vinales decided that the time was right to make a switch to KTM’s satellite Tech3 team for 2025 – a team that managed five podiums last year.
The Spaniard brings plenty of experience to the team as he enters his 11th campaign on a promising new bike.
KTM have vowed to race until the end of 2026 amid a financial crisis which comes at a bad time for Vinales.
Just as it seemed he may have found himself a new home, he may be forced to make another move at the end of next season if the Austrian manufacturer opts to leave the grid.
Maverick Vinales is ‘overwhelmed’ by Tech3’s MotoGP package
Tech3 have one of the most exciting rider pairings in 2025 with Vinales paired by ex-Ducati star Enea Bastianini.
Bastianini’s ex-agent Carlo Pernat would’ve ripped up his KTM deal if he had found out about the financial situation sooner than it was revealed.
The Italian signed his deal in the summer, months before any of their problems surfaced to the media or in the paddock.
READ MORE: Pedro Acosta will be worried by KTM plan for Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini at Tech3
It doesn’t detract from the bike they have at their disposal this year, which Vinales has already been encouraged by according to Adam Wheeler.
“I know Maverick Vinales has this tendency to paint everything amazingly beautiful in this garden full of flowers and light,” he said.
“But he seems overwhelmed almost by the package that he’s found and the environment that he’s found. He seems more positive than ever.”
What have KTM told Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini about the 2025 season?
Not only will both of Tech3’s riders inherit the same machinery as the factory duo in 2025, but across the board all eight of KTM’s bikes have been built to the same specification.
Vinales and Bastianini were notified of the parity at KTM before the Sepang shakedown, as the grid prepares for the 2025 season.
There are less than four weeks before the campaign kicks off in Thailand, and KTM will hear about whether their proposed restructuring plan has been approved on February 25, days before the official season-opener.
READ MORE: Aprilia chief issues blunt response to Pit Beirer swipe after luring Maverick Vinales to KTM
Whether or not they will be on the grid beyond 2026 is yet to be confirmed, but they have assured everyone of their commitment to the sport for the next two years at least.
It should help give their riders some confidence that for the foreseeable future, they will have the resources to compete.
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