KTM's new owner isn't keen on racing, which is why Dorna is chasing other manufacturers to increase their presence in MotoGP, in case the Indian/Austrian brand leaves the championship
Bajaj’s takeover of KTM – finalised last week as the brand’s MotoGP teams were setting up at Silverstone – keeps the troubled Austrian brand safe for now. But does KTM’s new owner think that racing, and MotoGP in particular, is worth it?
Bajaj is one of the world’s biggest manufacturer of motorcycles, annually producing around seven million two-wheelers and three-wheelers, including smaller-capacity machines for KTM and Triumph. Only fellow Indian brand Hero MotoCorp (which started out as a joint venture between Hero and Honda) and Japanese brands Honda and Yamaha make more.
But while India’s three other major motorcycle manufacturers – Hero MotoCorp, Royal Enfield and TVS – do go racing in one way or another, Bajaj doesn’t.
Indeed some Indian industry insiders say that Bajaj’s chairman, managing director and CEO Rajiv Bajaj is “totally anti-racing” because he doesn’t think it offers good value for money, so he will withdraw KTM from MotoGP if he can.
Last week Bajaj injected a further £500 million into KTM and the Pierer Mobility Group, on top of the £170 million already made available this year to meet the deadline for paying creditors the agreed 30% of KTM’s £1.7 billion debt, mostly attributed to over-production and quality issues. At the same time Bajaj, which previously owned 49.9% of KTM, becomes the majority, controlling owner and will soon go about reconstituting the company’s board of directors.
Acosta’s KTM RC16, with Ready To Race motto, at Silverstone last weekend. The Bajaj stickers appeared immediately after the Indian company announced its takeover of the Austrian brand
Mat Oxley
Once the board reflects Bajaj’s control of the company, big decisions will be taken, including KTM’s future in MotoGP and other areas of racing.
KTM has lived via its Ready To Race motto for many years, thanks to previous owner Stefan Pierer, who was a big fan of racing, from Dakar to motocross and from supercross to MotoGP.
Will Bajaj see MotoGP as central to its Ready To Race formula, or will Bajaj leave that area of promotion to lower-cost off-road disciplines, where KTM originally made its name? Especially at a time when it can ill afford its annual MotoGP budget of more than £50 million.
Last week’s Bajaj statement regarding the takeover didn’t mention racing once, merely stating that KTM is one of the world’s “most admired high-performance motorcycle companies” and that its plans for the brand is a “journey of turnaround” which includes “global growth, brand elevation, and technology leadership”.
Happier times at KTM – MotoGP staff during tests at Red Bull Ring in October 2015. Former CEO Stefan Pierer (black winter coat) stands behind motor sport director Pit Bierer
KTM’s current struggles in MotoGP certainly won’t help the situation. Next week marks the fourth anniversary of the RC16’s last dry-weather victory, achieved by Miguel Oliveira at Catalunya in June 2021.
So far this year KTM riders Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini have yet to climb a podium, in sprints or grands prix. As a result, KTM stands fourth in the constructors’ championship, four points ahead of Yamaha at the bottom and 157 points behind Ducati at the top.
KTM’s RC16 has mostly struggled to get near the front of the pack since the introduction of MotoGP’s current rear slick last year. The super-grippy tyre causes vibration and often overpowers the front tyre, causing turning and grip issues.
“We were there in the majority of the races towards end of 2023, so I thought we were going to be on it in 2024 but it didn’t happen that way,” says Jack Miller, who rode factory RC16s in 2023 and 2024. “It was a really hard one to swallow, because we were beating our heads against the wall and not finding a solution.
“The feeling was a bit unnatural in the way you got feedback out of the bike. You almost had to learn a new sense to understand what was going on with the tyres underneath you and where you were at with the front tyre, because it gave you a sense of over-confidence and suddenly you were down and you didn’t understand what had happened.”
Acosta and KTM’s other riders are suffering similar issues.
Acosta at Silverstone last weekend. KTM has yet to score a podium this year
Acosta at Silverstone last weekend. KTM has yet to score a podium this year
KTM first entered grand prix racing in the early 2000s, with 125cc and 250cc two-strokes, taking its first win in the 2004 Malaysian 125 GP with Casey Stoner. The company got more serious with the creation of Moto3 in 2012 and finally joined the premier class in 2017, winning its first MotoGP race at the 2020 Czech GP, with Binder.
Fabio Quartararo lost victory at Silverstone due to vicious ill luck, while Marc Márquez increased his championship advantage thanks to amazing good luck, but only after he had headbutted a track barrier
By
Mat Oxley
KTM’s MotoGP project doesn’t only face financial problems and a lack of results. With uncertainty hanging over its future, it is inevitable that riders, engineers and other staff will start looking to secure their futures elsewhere. This will only exacerbate its current difficulties.
KTM staff aren’t the only people in MotoGP looking around for new opportunities. MotoGP rights-holder Dorna cannot afford to lose four riders from the 22-rider grid, so it’s already canvassing rival manufacturers to fill the gaps, if required.
Honda and Yamaha are top of Dorna’s list, but will MotoGP’s last-surviving Japanese brands be willing to up their commitment so significantly, from four riders each to six? No one knows yet.
This quandary could hardly have come at a worse time for Dorna management, which will soon start working with their new owners, Liberty Media, assuming the American media giant’s £3.5 billion purchase of Dorna is given the go-ahead by the European Commission. All indications suggest the acquisition will get the green light in the coming weeks.
