Enea Bastianini shares the one ‘regret’ he has about KTM move amid 2027 exit rumours

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Enea Bastianini has expressed ‘regret’ about not being able to fight for top positions since moving to KTM.

The Italian left the factory Ducati team at the end of 2024 to make way for Marc Marquez. KTM saw an opportunity and snapped him up for Tech3 alongside Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales.

But Bastianini struggled to adapt to the RC16 and was consistently at the back in qualifying. While he has grabbed two podiums at Catalunya in 2025 and the COTA Sprint in 2026, he has not fought for top positions regularly.

KTM have an option to extend Enea Bastianini’s contract but could lose Tech3 – Should he join the factory KTM team in 2027?

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His struggles with the bike led to speculation that the 28-year-old was looking for a move. Bastianini tried to break his KTM contract amid interest from Yamaha, but nothing came of it.

That speculation has continued into 2026, as Bastianini is linked with a return to Gresini and the Ducati family. While he insists that KTM was a ‘good decision’, he has felt down over not fighting at the front.

Enea Bastianini has ‘regret’ over not fighting at the front with KTM

Asked by journalist Giovanni Zamagni on his #ZamTube YouTube channel about his move to the Austrian manufacturer, Bastianini said: “Well, I think it was a good decision, especially when I decided to join KTM.

“The situation wasn’t what we ended up experiencing last year, so all the conditions were in place for us to do well. Then, with all the various things that happened, I think KTM reacted very well too, kept us on the track and did everything possible to give us, the riders, the best.

“So that’s something to be very grateful for, but the fact of not being able to fight for the positions that count, that’s a bit of a regret, isn’t it?

“But we’re only at the start of this season, we still have plenty of races to go, and if this is the spirit, I think we’ll get some satisfaction out of it.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Enea Bastianini from net worth to career stats

Ducati confirm that Enea Bastianini ‘could return’ in 2027

As aforementioned, Bastianini is receiving interest from Gresini for a move in 2027. With Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer both out to KTM and VR46, respectively, Nadia Padovani needs two new riders.

Rumours suggest that Daniel Holgado is one of them, and, not wanting an all-rookie line-up, Bastianini is most likely to partner him as the experienced head.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali says Bastianini ‘could return’ to the manufacturer when asked about the future of some riders and the MotoGP rider market.

However, things could get complicated for the Italian. KTM could block Bastianini from leaving, as they have the option to trigger a year-long extension of his contract at the end of 2026.