KTM may have backed away from the premier-class after a troubled engine partnership with Team Roberts in 2005, but the Austrian factory will expand its 125 and 250cc activities considerably in 2008.

"In keeping with our well-known policy to be always 'Ready to Race', we are making a dramatic increase in our international road racing activities for the 2008 season,"said Winfried Kerschhaggl, head of KTM Motor Sports. "This indicates our firm commitment to be active and successful in major road racing competition and is in keeping with our market move into the road bike sector."

KTM will thus not only continue to run the Red Bull KTM factory team in the 125cc and 250cc World Championships next season - fielding Mika Kallio and Hiroshi Aoyama in 250, plus Randy Krummenacher in 125 - but also extend its activities to include support and supply to a number of private teams.

KTM's Konrad Hefele has been appointed to oversee the operational activities with the various private teams, which are headlined by Team Repsol KTM.

Alberto Puig is making the switch from Honda machinery for his 125 and 250cc outfits, where Spain's Julian Simon will contest the 250cc class with full factory status. Completing the Repsol KTM stable are two promising young Spanish riders in the form of Esteve Rabat and Marc Marquez, who will race in the 125cc class.

Also on 'orange' machinery will be Team Valsir Seedorf, which will be represented in the 125cc class by former factory KTM rider Tomoyoshi Koyama and 20-year old Italian Lorenzo Zanetti.

Two further 125cc KTM entries will come from Scot Racing, which will field 20-year old Italian Raffaele de Rosa alongside 27-year-old Spanish 'veteran' Pablo Nieto. Nieto, who won his first GP in 2003, is the son of legendary racing star Angel Nieto.