KTM had a long and uncertain winter leading into the 2025 season. The Austrian motorcycle manufacturer’s financial crisis hit a breaking point, with KTM AG debt having ballooned up to US$3.1 billion and parent company, Prier Mobility AG, requiring a nine-figure bailout.
Overproduction, market misalignment, and quality control concerts were considered the primary reasons behind KTM’s financial woes. KTM’s difficulties have left its MotoGP racing department in uncertain times, especially after promoting homegrown talent Pedro Acosta to its factory team.
The Tech 3 sister team welcomed the tenured Maverick Vinales, having ridden for Yamaha and Aprilia, alongside former Ducai rider and tyre whisperer Enea Bastianini, after his seat was instead offered to Marc Marquez. Both have struggled to adapt their signature smooth riding styles to KTM’s machinery.
Usurped by Aprilia and the resurgence of Honda, the Austrian outfit was having difficulties finding its race-pace form in Argentina, particularly struggling in the latter half of the race. Both factory riders, Binder and Acosta have voiced concerns in regards to rear wheelspin, particularly with worn tires.
Compounded with the RC16 demanding a gentle touch on its front end, all of KTM’s riders are especially struggling to come to grips with a bike often described as inconsistent. The rear tyre chattering issue from last year also remained as a thorn in the Austrian manufacturer’s side.
Test rider Pol Espargaro remains confident in the overall package, as stated in an interview with The Race. The Spaniard expresses confidence once the calendar approaches the European circuits. Fellow Spaniard Vinales offers a similar sense of optimism but insists that more time is needed.
“It’s too early to say anything. It’s only really been one month I have been with KTM, so I cannot really see anything at the moment,
“We will see when we arrive in Europe, when we go to Jerez where the first test is to see what we have there, what we don’t have there.”
Ultimately, Acosta is facing more pressure than any of his KTM teammates. Only in his sophomore year of MotoGP, the 20 year old is coined as the future for the Austrian team. Acosta remained open about KTM’s shortcomings in 2025, but the margin for improvement has kept his hopes high.
Marc Marquez, having dominated the season so far, identifies both Acosta and Vinales of being potential threats to Ducati in this weekend’s race at the Circuit of the Americas. However, after the Sprint race, the vibration issues of the orange and dark blue bike persist.
Although most likely fixable, being in the talks for having one of the worst bikes on the current grid is not favourable for KTM as hardships still linger.
