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The KTM satellite team will shed its GasGas branding in 2025 and, similar to the factory team, compete as ‘Red Bull KTM Tech3’.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will field incumbent Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta, whose promotion was confirmed in recent weeks.
Bastianini and Viñales have each been handed multi-year agreements and will, as is already the case for Tech3, receive full factory-spec RC16 motorcycles.
“We’re very happy we could bring both Enea and Maverick into our MotoGP project and give them full factory backing and support to keep following their goals and to reach their maximum performance,” said KTM Motorsports Director, Pit Beirer.
“It’s clear we are talking about two of the fastest riders in the world right now and it is a compliment that they trust us and the first-class operation we’ve created together with Red Bull KTM Tech3.
“The team’s label for 2025 says it all: it is time to strengthen the KTM name again and we couldn’t think of a better way to bring this kind of value to the company than for Enea and Maverick to go full Red Bull orange.
“Let’s push on for the rest of 2024 now and then look forward to this new start for next year.”
Coincidentally, Bastianini took Miller’s old seat at the factory Ducati Team last year, but the Italian has now been ousted to make way for six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez in 2025.
Viñales makes the defection from Aprilia Racing, which rescued his career after a messy divorce from Yamaha which was hastened when he deliberately over-revved a bike at the Red Bull Ring in 2021.
He is a winner this year, once in a grand prix Race and twice in Sprints, while Bagnaia finished second last time out at Mugello.
Both are in the top six in the championship whereas Miller and Tech3 incumbent Augusto Fernandez, who is now also out of a ride, languish in 16th and 17th, respectively.
While there have been mixed messages out of KTM in recent times, the writing was on the wall for both given comments from the Deputy Chairman of parent company Pierer Mobility, Hubert Trunkenpolz.
Neither Miller nor Fernandez have done so this year.
Where they end up is yet to be confirmed, although the former had already been linked to Honda, which is rooted to the bottom of the constructors’ championship.
The Queenslander seemed relaxed about his future when queried upon confirmation of Acosta’s promotion into his seat, even if he admitted his results have been poor.
“I’m not keen on signing any pieces of paper with the results I’ve had so far [in 2024],” said Miller during the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
“Don’t get me wrong, there’s not a massive list of people lining up trying to give me one, but we’ll have a spot, I’m not too stressed.”
Bastianini, whose move to Tech3 was foreshadowed by Speedcafe earlier this month, started his world championship career on a KTM in Moto3 in 2014.
A year earlier, Viñales won the lightweight class title on a privately-entered KTM.
Tech3 Team Manager Nicolas Goyon proclaimed, via the Austrian marque’s announcement, “We are delighted to announce that Enea and Maverick will be with us next year and we convert back to KTM.
“We cannot forget our first MotoGP wins were taken in orange. We cannot hide our pride that these two talented riders have decided to ride our bikes.
“It shows we’ve followed the right road, and our technology can fight at the front for the championship.
“We would like to thank Pierer Mobility AG for the quality of their support. Our collaboration has reached the top level this year and I’m sure it will keep growing in the future.
“We’d also like to thank Red Bull for their dedication with us. We have a clear commitment towards victory and that’s why Enea and Maverick have decided to join the program.”
