KTM clear on 2026 MotoGP line-up: “Four bikes, four riders...”
KTM’s MotoGP future is secure, says Pit Beirer, as the Austrian brand commits to four bikes and current rider line-up.
KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer has stamped out rumours of rider or bike changes for the 2026 MotoGP season.
Following a turbulent winter caused by the company’s financial crisis, rumours circulated that star rookie Pedro Acosta was eyeing a move to VR46 Ducati, and that satellite outfit Tech3 could be considering a switch to another manufacturer.
But speaking during the Czech MotoGP weekend, Beirer told Sky Italia: “We confirm our four bikes and also our four riders.”
"They're all fantastic," Beirer added.
That means Acosta and Brad Binder will continue at the factory Red Bull KTM team, with Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini at Tech3 in their 2026 MotoGP rider line-up.
“Our CEO is here and has done an incredible job to stabilise the situation in our company,” Beirer said of Gottfried Neumeister’s presence at Brno, where KTM celebrated its first MotoGP rostrums of the season with Acosta and Bastianini.
“We [KTM] are fine, we have done a reorganisation and now it's time to go full throttle, first of all as a factory.
“KTM must be strong and also do marketing with motorsport, it's a system that has worked for 30 years, but last year we had an incredible accident, we have to fix it and we are ready.
“The CEO is here with me to tell the teams that we will continue, we will have four bikes in MotoGP, not two nor six.”
Acosta enters the summer break seventh in the MotoGP standings, with the injured Vinales in 11th, Binder 12th and Bastianini 17th.
KTM is third out of the five manufacturers in the constructors' chase.
Meanwhile, Beirer also confirmed that KTM’s Moto3 title leader Jose Antonio Rueda is set to move to Moto2 in 2026.
"Another incredible young man has arrived in our sport, now he's stronger mentally. Ready for Moto2? Yes.”
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