KTM and Tech 3 Racing have opted to use the same livery for 2025 MotoGP season as they launch their Red Bull-liveried bikes amid financial troubles.
Brad Binder (29, from Potchefstroom with 17 wins, 2 in MotoGP) and Pedro Acosta (20, from Murcia with 16 wins) will team-up for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Enea Bastianini (27, from Rimini with 13 wins, 7 in MotoGP) Maverick Viñales (30, from Roses with 26 wins, 10 in MotoGP) are the charges for Red Bull KTM Tech3 this year and all 22 rounds of the championship that will visit 18 countries.
Binder approaches his sixth campaign in MotoGP and has classified in the top six for the previous four seasons in a row and in the top five for the last two. 2025 will be his sixth as part of the Red Bull KTM crew in MotoGP. The South African will be joined by Pedro Acosta, the youngest rider on the grid, for his second term and after an impressive rookie year in 2024 where he finished 6th in the championship and with five podium results.
Like Binder, Acosta has sailed through the Grand Prix ‘pyramid’ in Red Bull colors and through the KTM GP Academy at every step. Bastianini and Viñales are new recruits for the family but bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and potential into the camp. Bastianini stood on the box nine times (twice from the top step) last season as he finished P4 in the standings. The Italian has grabbed a podium trophy at least once in all four of his years in the MotoGP class so far.
Viñales has enormous pedigree and has toasted success in the premier class with three different manufacturers; the last coming at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas in 2024. Maverick was 7th best last year, meaning that KTM will assist four racers from the first seven places in the rankings going into the new contest.
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “It is crazy to think that this is my sixth season in MotoGP already. To be honest 2024 was the year where I probably learnt the most. Coming into 2025 I feel that it has made me a much better rider. My goal for the season is to take what I learnt and make that step forward to fight with the guys at the front. We are not far. We finished 2nd in the Constructors championship so we have one left in front of us. When I see how hard people are working at the factory and how much energy there is behind the scenes it is clear we are going to get there.”
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “For sure, 2024 was a good year, and we still have some goals that we keep in the pocket. I learned how to control a race, and how to adapt to MotoGP. It was a dream come true coming to the factory team after being in Moto3 and Moto2. Also having Brad as a teammate and helping develop the bike will be a very good point.
“It will help that he has a lot of experience in the class and I think we will make a good match together. The two main important points for 2025 will be the qualifying and then the first few laps of the race. Last year we saw that we had pace to fight for podiums or wins but we were struggling during qualifying. So, these two points will be the most important things to improve during this season.”
Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech3: “I’m very curious for this season.We have to stay calm at the start because it’s important to understand the bike and the team. But I’m motivated and I think that about the third or fourth race we can be competitive. When I tried the bike I understood all the potential and it’s impressive how you can go on the edge of the corner and how the gearbox is faster, it’s so fast. So, yeah, I’m very impressed.”
Maverick Viñales, Red Bull KTM Tech3: “To wear the Red Bull KTM colors feels very good. Since I’ve been a kid I’ve seen them on motocross, on racing…so, it’s a dream team for me. My first thought of the KTM RC16 was: “wow, this is a beast, it’s fast!”. I remember in Montmelo it was very fast, and this is important in the new MotoGP era, as most of the race are the first five-six laps. The first year when you go to a new bike, you need to be always concentrated, always open to new experiences.
“Every time you go to a new track it’s a completely different experience from the previous years so you have to have an open mentality and be very focused, so my objective is to be focused and to be able to perform at my maximum. The good thing is that as soon as I jump on the KTM it feels like home. It’s a bike that I like, that suits my riding style, entering the corner. So, this is a very important thing.”
Aki Ajo, Team Manager, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “We are enthusiastic about the season ahead of us. We have been working hard during the winter to develop our project and the RC16 to be even faster and better than last season. Our aim is high, but we are prepared to keep working hard, and it is a joy to have such skilled and dedicated people in the project, and in the company.
“Our motivation is high, and I believe that we have made some important progress to enhance our performance. We have also strong and experienced riders, and we are all very motivated and look forward to the action of the new 2025 season. Thank you to all the staff, partners and the management and all the people at KTM that have shown big support MotoGP project. We are ready to race.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager, Red Bull KTM Tech3: “The wait is finally over, and we are all really excited to launch our 2025 MotoGP season. We are back to Red Bull KTM colours, with two amazing talents, who we are all really thrilled to welcome amongst our ranks. Maverick and Enea are both extremely experienced riders, cumulating between the two of them 17 wins and over 50 podiums in MotoGP, and they will form the strongest line up Tech3 has ever had. We believe they will both be a great fit in our project, and strong assets for the brand. We are thankful to Red Bull KTM for trusting us with two brilliant riders, and we will do everything we can to take the MotoGP project to the next level.”
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “There have been many questions but we have been clear since the last day of the 2024 season: we are here to race and we are very serious about success in this fantastic championship that spreads motorcycling and motorcycle racing to many corners of the world. 2025 has started strongly for us with the important Dakar victory and also winning in AMA Supercross, now it is a real pleasure to present our MotoGP teams and see our bike ready to race for the ninth year in a row.
“Competition is such a big part of KTM’s DNA and we are committed. For the coming season and with Brad, Pedro, Enea and Maverick as well as all the experience and knowledge in the pitboxes there is a lot of positivity and adrenaline to get started. This season could be massive for us, and I hope it will be.”
Here’s video: https://x.com/KTM_Racing/status/1884889540273516834
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2025 MotoGP launches –
[The story is as per press release]