KTM

To say that Saturday at Aragon was a day to forget for the Espargaro family would be a massive understatement. It began with factory KTM rider Pol re-breaking his healing left collarbone in morning practice, sending him back to hospital for surgery.

Dani Pedrosa remained silent on Thursday about his highly-rumoured switch to KTM as a MotoGP test rider next season, but Pol Espargaro spoke openly about what the 31-time race winner could bring to the Austrian project.

As expected, Mika Kallio has extended his MotoGP testing contract with KTM for 2019. The Finn, currently sidelined by serious right-knee ligament damage at the Sachsenring, will thus remain part of the team for a fourth season.

Bradley Smith may have lost his full-time MotoGP ride, but he will be lining up on the grid at the 2019 Qatar season-opener.

Pol Espargaro is confident he’ll be able to manage the pain during the Misano race but accepts he’ll be hampered by a lack of physical power on his Red Bull KTM on his return from injury.

Bradley Smith has revealed he is edging closer to confirming his role as Aprilia’s MotoGP test rider for 2019 while reiterating a aim of being a full-time presence in the paddock the following year.

During the build-up to the British MotoGP – before it was cancelled – Crash.net caught up with Moto2 world title contender Miguel Oliveira to chat about all things orange at KTM, his early preparations for his move up to MotoGP and what his dentistry studies mean to him.

Aleix Espargaro would welcome the arrival of Bradley Smith as an Aprilia test and wild-card rider in 2019. The struggling Italian factory is among the teams looking to boost its development programme by signing a test rider with proven MotoGP speed and experience.

John McPhee has said the Moto3 title is “100 percent the goal” in 2019 after it was confirmed he would join the Petronas-backed SIC [Sepang International Circuit] Honda squad in the junior category in November.

Bradley Smith will make a clean break from KTM at the end of the MotoGP season and not remain involved as a factory test rider in 2019.

Loris Baz has spoken of his excitement to sample KTM’s RC16 MotoGP machine, after the Frenchman was asked to stand in for the recovering Pol Espargaro at the British Grand Prix.

Marco Bezzecchi has revealed he had “many, many opportunities” to stay in the Moto3 class in 2019, as well as several strong options in the intermediate category, before settling on signing for Hervé Poncharal’s all-new Red Bull KTM Tech Moto2 squad.

KTM is yet to beat the best race result of its rookie MotoGP season, but the factory insists it is 'not panicking' and will eventually reach its victory goal, no matter how long it takes.

KTM has officially confirmed that, as rumoured , Loris Baz will return to MotoGP action at Silverstone this weekend in place of the injured Pol Espargaro.

Will Loris Baz return to MotoGP action at Silverstone this weekend, replacing the injured Pol Espargaro at the factory KTM team? It's yet to be officially confirmed by team or rider, but several reliable French sources are reporting it will happen:

KTM motorsports director Pit Beirer is sure the factory's new 2019 MotoGP signing Johann Zarco 'will make us better'. And that includes helping team-mate Pol Espargaro 'use his full potential'. In return, Beirer believes Zarco can pick things up from Espargaro's 'talent'.

KTM's plans to gain conclusive MotoGP race data with its 2019 machine have been thwarted by Mika Kallio's season-ending knee injury at Sachsenring.

Bradley Smith is confident he can make a seamless transition from the current KTM to the updated version but warns the Austrian squad ‘can’t take any unnecessary risks’ in its development plan.

Johann Zarco feels he’s on track to return to his sparkling form from the start of 2018 despite struggling for front-running pace with his Monster Yamaha Tech3 in Austria.

KTM initially thought its MotoGP test programme would be less important in 2019, when the factory will double its presence on the grid to four bikes with the addition of Tech3.

All new rider line-up as Tech3 switches to the KTM Moto2 chassis in 2019

Aleix Espargaro visited his injured younger brother Pol in hospital during the brief break between the Czech and Austrian MotoGPs.

Bradley Smith's early summer announcement that he was contemplating retirement sent tongues wagging, but also set his mind in motion. Is this really what I want?

KTM’s MotoGP team boss Mike Leitner has cast doubts over Pol Espargaro’s participation at the Austrian factory’s home grand prix at Spielberg this weekend, and says he is “99 percent” sure there will be no replacement rider for the event.