Why KTM chose ‘strong riders’ over ‘schooling project’ for MotoGP 2025
‘It was a clear decision t☂o go for results and not for another schooling program, but also, honestly, I don'ꦜt see that next guy ready [in Moto2]’.
Since Tech3 joined forces with KTM in 2019, the Austrian factory has placed six rookies at Herve Poncharal’s team: Miguel Oliveira (2019), Iker Lecuona (2020), Raul Fernandez (2021), Remy Gardner (2021), 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Augusto Fernandez (2022) and now 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Pedro Acosta (2023).
Tech3’s current Fernandez-Acosta line-up began the year with a combined age of just 45, combined MotoGP experience of only one seaso𒁃n and no MotoG🥃P podiums.
But those stats will change d🤪ramatically for 2025.
The new Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini line-up will offer a combined age of 57, combined MotoGP experience of 14 years and - at present - combined 15 MotoGP wins and 47 podiums (across Yamaha, Aprilia, Suzuki and Du💧cati machinery).
To put t💦he scale of that shift into perspective, the future factory KTM team of Brad Binder and Acosta currently has a combined totꦅal of 2 MotoGP wins and 13 podiums (KTM machinery).
“Now ꦇit's clear we cannot offer a young talent a place [in MotoGP] for the next two years,” confirmed KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer, in the aftermath of the Vinales and Bastianini deals.
Acosta is the third successive Moto2 champion to join MotoGP with KTM after Gardner and Augusto Fernande﷽z, but the only one to finish on the podium and lead the RC16 challenge in the standings.
“If you ask me for my wish, of course, it would be alwa🙈ys to have riders coming from our own ‘Academy’ up there and competitive," Beirer added.
“[But] you see how complex MotoGP is, ho⛦w difficult it is. You definitely need an outstanding roo❀kie, then it makes sense to go straight into MotoGP.
"That's what Pe🌳dro has proven, that it's possible.
“But also we had struggles [in the past]. Even a Moto2 world champion can haveꦏ a really hard time going into MotoGP.
“If you looked into the total investment of the MotoGP class, take a budget of🐼. many, many millions and divide it by four. Every rider package is a multi-million package…
“And I feel you just don't get the time anymore in MotoGP to say ‘OK, let's make a kind of schooling proj🦄ect’.
“It’s super import🐼ant to perform. And not just for publicity r🎐easons. Also for the quality of the whole team.
"You need four strong riders even to have [one] winning rider in the grou♔p [because] you need data immediately from Friday mornꦕing to make the next step for second practice.
“So we just felt more comfortable to take GP winners and p⛎ush the whole project, push each other.
"I think Pedro and Brad are also going to 𓆏benefit fr𓄧om two more strong riders.
“So it was a clear decision to go for results and not for ano🧜ther schooling p🌳rogram, but also, honestly, I don't see that next guy ready.
“If the next guy wou♔ld be the next Pedro, ready in our Moto2 project to make the jump, for sure we would take him immediately. But we don't see th♌at they are ready for next year or the year after.
“So we had to go for rider quality.”
The new Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 line-up of Celestino Vietti and rookie Deniz Oncu are currently 10th and 23💫rd in the stand♏ings.
Fermin Aldeguer is the only Moto2 rider currently confirmed as 🎶joining⛦ MotoGP next season, with a TBA Ducati seat.
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