Maverick Vinales is set to leave Aprilia and join Enea Bastianini at the rebranded KTM Tech3 MotoGP team for 2025.
Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini will round up KTM’s rider lineup in the rebranded Red Bull KTM Tech3 MotoGP outfit in 2025, the bike manufacturer confirmed on Thursday.
This comes after Red Bull KTM Factory Racing confirmed that exceptional rookie Pedro Acosta will ride for the team in 2025 alongside Brad Binder.
Now, the Austrian manufacturer announced that Tech3 will receive full-factory KTM RC16 machinery as part of a multi-year deal to put together a four-strong effort with Vinales and Bastianini.
Vinales and Bastianini have both worked with KTM in lower categories in the past. Vinales began his career with the manufacturer in 2013 when he won the Moto3 World Championship while Bastianini graduated from Red Bull Rookies to the Moto3 World Championship in 2014 as a 16-year-old and raced a KTM under Gresini.
Multiple Grand Prix winner Bastianini went searching for a ride after learning that Marc Marquez would be replacing him in the factory Ducati lineup for 2025 MotoGP.
As for Vinales, who joined Aprilia midway through the 2021 season and went on to become the first rider to win Grands Prix with three different manufacturers—Yamaha, Suzuki, and Aprilia—before deciding to leave the brand.
Tech3 Team Manager Nicolas Goyon said: “We are delighted to announce that Enea and Maverick will be with us next year and we convert back to KTM.
“We cannot hide our pride that these two talented riders have decided to ride our bikes. It shows we’ve followed the right road, and our technology can fight at the front for the championship.
“We would like to thank Pierer Mobility AG for the quality of their support. Our collaboration has reached the top level this year and I’m sure it will keep growing in the future.
“We’d also like to thank Red Bull for their dedication with us. We have a clear commitment towards victory and that’s why Enea and Maverick have decided to join the program.”
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director, confirmed the new name for Tech3 will be Red Bull KTM Tech3: “We’re very happy we could bring both Enea and Maverick into our MotoGP project and give them full factory backing and support to keep following their goals and to reach their maximum performance.”
“It’s clear we are talking about two of the fastest riders in the world right now and it is a compliment that they trust us and the first-class operation we’ve created together with Red Bull KTM Tech3.
“The team’s label for 2025 says it all: it is time to strengthen the KTM name again and we couldn’t think of a better way to bring this kind of value to the company than for Enea and Maverick to go full Red Bull orange.
“Let’s push on for the rest of 2024 now and then look forward to this new start for next year.”
Vinales’ exit leaves the Noale factory in search of a second rider to partner with new signing Jorge Martin next season in the wake of Aleix Espargaro’s retirement plans.
On the other hand, Jack Miller and Agusto Fernandez now find themselves in search of a new ride for next season and one of them might secure the vacant seat at Aprilia although current VR46 riders Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio are seen as the most likely candidates.
