- Decision will save estimated €46m annually
- Reports that Red Bull could step in to save team dismissed by KTM’s parent company
Austrian manufacturer KTM looks set to depart MotoGP from the 2026 season, according to Der Standard.
KTM’s future in the global motorcycling series has been in doubt for some time amid serious financial issues. The manufacturer reportedly needs at least €100 million (US$103.3 million) to stay afloat in 2025.
A report by Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten (SN) suggested that the team’s title sponsor Red Bull could step in to help with funding the MotoGP project, given Red Bull co-owner Mark Mateschitz knows KTM boss Stefan Pierer well.
However, KTM’s parent company Pierer Mobility AG released a statement denying these claims.
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Despite the funding problems, KTM’s motorsport chief Pit Beirer reiterated the team’s commitment to the 2025 MotoGP season.
“We will stay in all the series we are in,” Beirer told SN. “Whatever we do, we do with 100 per cent.”
“But the focus is now entirely on Orange [KTM]. In some series, we are currently represented with three times the effort.
“Our junior programme, which begins with the Rookies Cup, is also not at risk. Our partners and sponsors are supporting us in this difficult phase.”
However, this now appears to be a short-term plan for KTM with an exit seemingly all but officially confirmed in 2026. Notably, the riders’ contracts are limited to two years so, once this cycle is complete, the team will be free to depart.
While KTM may have to brace itself for significant PR damage from exiting MotoGP, the decision will reportedly save an estimated €46 million (US$47.5 million) annually.
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