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Speedcafe intel has linked Enea Bastianini to GasGas Tech3, fresh off the back of the surprise announcement that Jorge Martin has signed with Aprilia Racing from 2025.
Such a move would have implications for Miller and Augusto Fernandez, the former of whom is already out of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team next year and the latter of whom is under pressure due to his underwhelming performances on the other Tech3 entry.
Bastianini, like Miller, has long been under threat of losing his current ride, due to the championship-leading form of ‘The Martinator’ and how quickly six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has adapted to the year-old Desmosedici which he is riding at Gresini Racing.
However, if Ducati has been unwilling/unable to accommodate Martin’s demands to be promoted to the factory team from Pramac Racing, then that is indicative that it will choose Marquez.
UPDATE: Enea Bastianini manager ‘confirms’ KTM MotoGP deal
Signing with KTM to ride one of the GasGas entries is a not inconceivable outcome for Bastianini given the situation now facing him.
He could drop to Pramac, effectively Ducati’s B team, a skip he stepped when the Bologna marque plucked him out of Gresini to replace Miller at the end of 2022.
Pramac had been strongly linked to Yamaha, which is presently without a satellite team, but Team Manager Gino Borsoi stated at Mugello in recent days that, “We will continue to have the official Ducatis next year.”
However, Ducati, which controls the rider contracts at Pramac, has to accommodate Fermin Aldeguer after announcing a deal with Moto2 star in April.
The other seat is yet to be filled, with Franco Morbidelli far from a certainty to be retained.
As for the other two Ducati outfits, Gresini and Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Racing Team field only GP23-spec Desmosedicis this year and it is unlikely that supply for a fifth latest-spec bike would be forthcoming in 2025 if earmarked for a rider already dropped from the factory squad.
Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola has described a new Maverick Viñales deal as its “priority” now, and his signature would mean its factory team would be full.
Its satellite team, Trackhouse Racing, has access to full factory-spec Aprilia RS-GPs although the performance of Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez in the season to date might be cause for concern.
Honda is a destination best avoided right now and similar applies to Yamaha, which leaves just KTM/GasGas.
Both Miller and Augusto Fernandez were given a warning through the media before GasGas Tech3 incumbent Pedro Acosta was confirmed as a Red Bull KTM rider alongside Brad Binder from 2025.
Miller admitted following that announcement, “I’m not keen on signing right at this moment, I’d rather have some better results to try and help myself a little bit more, but [Acosta is] a logical choice.”
However, the Queenslander also made his case for a GasGas seat days earlier, citing his value to the development of the RC16, amid speculation of interest from Honda.
Meanwhile, fellow Australian Joel Kelso has secured his future in Moto3, signing a deal to ride for LevelUp MTA Racing in 2025.
“Myself and team manager Alessandro Tonucci worked together back in my junior days, and it is great to reconnect with such an amazing team,” he wrote on social media.
The 2024 MotoGP season is currently in an unplanned break due to the postponement of the Kazakhstan Grand Prix, which has now taken over India’s date.
Round 8 is now the Dutch TT at Assen on June 28-30.
