MotoGP | Poncharal thanks KTM for “two riders capable of winning” in 2025

Since the beginning of the partnership with KTM in 2019, Tech3 has seen several riders emerge, such as Miguel Oliveira, winner of two races for the Bormes-les-Mimosas team, and of course Pedro Acosta. The team has already relied on some experienced drivers, such as Danilo Petrucci and Pol Espargaro, but in 2025 its status will change.

After just two years, the visual identity that associates Tech3 with GasGas will disappear and the team will return to wearing the KTM colors, symbolizing the brand’s desire to make its satellite team a structure at the same level as its official team. This ambition is illustrated by the signing of two top riders, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales, both currently in the top 6 of the championship.

These arrivals were made possible by the turbulence at Ducati, with the promotion of Marc Marquez leading to the departure of Bastianini and Jorge Martin, who took refuge in Aprilia. Which seems to have also pushed Vinales to change scenery. Tech3 will therefore have two drivers who have already won Grand Prix, something the team has never experienced before!

After bringing Pedro Acosta, currently the best representative of KTM and already promoted to the official team in 2025, Hervé Poncharal could not hope for something better. “2024 is already unfolding like a dream for Tech3,” the team boss told Speedweek. “Thanks to Pedro, we managed to demonstrate our strength and accelerate the entire project together, around the RC16. We have reached a new stage. There will be a bit of melancholy in no longer having Pedro in our garage, but we will have a team that has never existed before in our history.”

“We have always had excellent riders and I continue to have great respect for each of them, but this partnership of two top riders of the moment, already winners in MotoGP, has never been seen before with us”, underlined the Frenchman, showing a strong ambition: “I am convinced that both Enea and Maverick will fight for victory on the RC16. The good results are the fuel that pushes us all to move forward and there will also be two drivers capable of winning in the nearby garage, with the same colours. Four riders who can challenge for victory in every race on a bike capable of winning, you couldn’t ask for more.”

Tech3 could be on the verge of winning this year with Pedro Acosta, a goal that seems much more remote for Augusto Fernandez, who has never made the top 10 in a major race this year. With Bastianini and Vinales, the satellite team should also have the potential to regularly tickle the factory team, a strategy fully approved by KTM and which pleases Tech3.

“I contacted Stefan Pierer (KTM General Manager) and thanked him for the excellent support,” Poncharal said. “His response was: ‘Hervé, we are only strong together’. For all the professionalism and commercial aspect of MotoGP, he once again reinforced the decision he made seven years ago. If I had to send a message today, it would be: be be brave and follow your instincts and your heart!”.

A strategic decision for KTM

KTM is not afraid that Tech3 will take over, because the goal is to make the two structures work in unison. Tech3 will no longer have a “junior team” function, but will be truly involved in the work of the official team during the Grand Prix weekends, taking advantage of the rich data sharing that Ducati benefits from. KTM has learned the lesson of the difficulties encountered by several riders launched in MotoGP, such as Iker Lecuona, Raúl Fernandez, Remy Gardner and Augusto Fernandez, even though the latter two were world champions in Moto2, and has decided not to promote any more youngsters to some time.

“It is obvious that we will not be able to offer a seat to a young talent for the next two years,” noted Pit Beirer, director of KTM Motorsports, as both teams are at full capacity until 2026. “If you ask me, my desire would be to always have riders who come from our Academy and who are competitive. But you can see the complexity and difficulty of MotoGP, and it really takes an exceptional rookie to go to MotoGP.”

“Pedro showed that it was possible, but we also had difficulty understanding that even a Moto2 champion could have difficulties in MotoGP. If you consider the investment in MotoGP – many, many millions – and divide it by four, the package for each driver it is worth several million. We must take into account several things, such as partners, and our company that brings the money.”

Maverick Viñales and Pit Beirer

Photo de: KTM Images

“I think that in MotoGP there is no longer time to say ‘Ok, let’s do a learning project’. It is very important to get a result, not only for advertising criteria, but also for the quality of the entire team: we need four strong riders, to have a winning rider in the group. We need data on Friday morning, immediately, to make progress before the second session. We are more comfortable taking GP winners and creating internal emulation for the whole project.”

“I don’t want to decide who our favorite is, but I think Pedro and Brad will benefit from having two strong drivers. It was a fundamental decision to focus on results, rather than a new learning programme.”

KTM is also seeing its talent pool dry up. Of the current members of the KTM GP Academy – Jose Antonio Rueda and Beirer then turned to other options: “Honestly, I don’t see the next rider ready. If the next Pedro was ready in Moto2 to make the jump, obviously we would take him straight away, but we don’t see anyone ready for next year. So we had to focus on quality pilots”.