KTM rules out MotoGP team sale as company returns to profit

KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister has ruled out selling any part of the company’s MotoGP team, insisting the manufacturer is now financially stable enough to fully back its racing programme.

The Austrian brand was “burning cash” during its 2025 financial crisis, putting pressure on motorsport spending and fuelling speculation that the MotoGP project could be sold or opened to outside investment.

But after returning to profit and selling almost 100,000 motorcycles in the first half of the year, Neumeister said KTM’s position is now clear.

“We've signed the five-year deal with Dorna [for the new 850cc era], it's very clear we will not sell the team, we will not sell a little part of the team, we're fully committed," he said at the Red Bull Ring on Friday.

"The MotoGP title is one of the few titles we have not yet won," Neumeister added.

"Motorsport is our DNA"

“In general, it's really very good to see that we've managed the [financial] turnaround," Neumeister said.

“In the second quarter, we managed to break even on EBIT level. For the first time in almost two years, seeing profits was really a great sign, great relief.

“Motorsport as a whole, not only MotoGP, but the successes we were able to deliver also in those difficult times, winning the Dakar, winning already six World Championship titles - and the season is not over - is really encouraging.

“It's the most important thing for KTM. Motorsport is our DNA, it's our test lab. Whatever we learn here, we can then translate into our series production.”

“We will not sell the team”

As the most expensive of KTM’s motorsport activities, the MotoGP project looked the most vulnerable to cost-cutting.

Neumeister said: “A year ago, there was the question, ‘Mr Neumeister, will you be able to even sustain motorsport?’

“We were burning cash, and of course it was fair to ask that question, but this created also a lot of uncertainty.

“Then there were those rumours about whether we would sell the MotoGP team, whether we would have to get someone in as a shareholder, like Mercedes in Formula 1- you don't necessarily need to own the whole team as an OEM.

“Again, a lot of uncertainties, and for me the most important thing is to bring this certainty back to the team.

“We've signed the five-year deal with Dorna [for the new 850cc era], it's very clear we will not sell the team, we will not sell a little part of the team, we're fully committed.

“The MotoGP title is one of the few titles we have not yet won, and we're clear here to win and to race, and not for an equity increase.

“This is what drives us, this is what motivates us. After Moto2, Moto3, we need to also get this.

“I don't want to put too much pressure, you cannot switch it from one year to the other, but it's a clear plan.

“There's full commitment to the sport, there's the budget, the company is recovering, so now we can really focus on racing.”

"Sympathy for our riders"

After Bajaj took a controlling 75% stake in KTM, Neumeister admitted the company needed to show a clear business case for continuing its motorsport programmes.

“As I said, there was maybe a time with a lot of question marks. Yes, we have a tight budget, and you can always argue, ‘If you need to lay off 500 people, why do you race? And why do you spend so much money?’

“But proving how it translates into sales, how it translates into brand equity, was the most important thing.

“We were really able to show winning on Sunday, selling on Monday is really something that works for the company and translates. That was the important piece.

“I really need to say it, and my CFO will hate me for it, but if you want to race, you need to have the generosity.

“If Pit [Beirer] comes and says, "I have an aerodynamics guy," you cannot say, "and now try to save something." Then you cannot win.

“So you need to have this generosity and this freedom, but first of all, you need to have the budget. 

"And we were in a situation where we didn't have it, and that was hard to steer when you're not even able to [develop] new parts.

“I have really great sympathy for our riders. It was not their fault, and it was not their thing, it was our own KTM thing which we had to solve.”

KTM will have an all-new MotoGP line-up for the start of the 850cc/Pirelli era in 2027, with Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio at the factory team and Luca Marini alongside rookie Senna Agius at Tech3.