“Never easy” - Enea Bastianini bids farewell to Tech3 ahead of 2027 MotoGP move
Enea Bastianini thanks Tech3 after confirmation that he will leave the team and join Trackhouse Aprilia at the end of the MotoGP season.
Enea Bastianini said it is “never easy to make these kinds of decisions” after official confirmation that he will leave Tech3 KTM and join Trackhouse Aprilia for 2027.
The Beast was initially linked with a return to Gresini but will instead move to Aprilia, the manufacturer leading this year’s championship.
Bastianini will be one of three Italians, all former Ducati riders, on next year’s RS-GP roster.
“It is never easy to make these kinds of decisions,” Bastianini posted in response to a Tech3 message confirming his departure.
“You have been my family, and you will be until the very end. Thank you, love you all [Tech3]”
Bastianini left Ducati, where he won seven grands prix, for KTM after losing his factory seat to Marc Marquez ahead of the 2025 season.
The switch signalled Bastianini’s fourth team in five years, but this time he was also swapping the Desmosedici for an RC16.
Bastianini initially struggled to get to grips with the Austrian machine, which features a carbon fibre frame and WP suspension, while KTM’s financial crisis also restricted development.
While team-mate and fellow new Tech3 signing Maverick Vinales provided a path forward, Bastianini could barely break into the top ten.
However, fortunes swung dramatically in Bastianini’s favour after the 2025 German MotoGP, an event that saw no Tech3 riders line up for the race.
Bastianini missed the entire event due to food poisoning, while Vinales suffered a practice shoulder injury that continues to blight his fitness.
But 'The Beast' returned with a Sprint podium next time at Brno and was in contention for another strong result before crashing in the grand prix.
He later made amends with a podium in Catalunya, with future team boss Guenther Steiner watching on.
That remains Bastianini’s best Sunday result in orange, although he was promoted to a Sprint podium at COTA this year following a post-race penalty for Pedro Acosta.
Despite sitting only 12th in the world championship, Bastianini is the next-best KTM rider behind Acosta.
Tech3 is yet to announce his replacement, but the team is tipped to field an all-new line-up of Luca Marini and rookie Senna Agius for the new 850cc and Pirelli era.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
