Di Giannantonio? As of today, it's a complete mystery...", Tech3 at a crossroads: KTM between goals and ambitions

Pit Beirer takes stock of KTM’s current situation, awaiting Tech3’s decision and working on riders for MotoGP 2027.

Will KTM lose Tech3 to a switch with Honda, or will Gunther Steiner’s team remain under its wing? And will Di Giannantonio really join the Austrian brand? In the meantime, the Austrian manufacturer continues its fight at the top to challenge both Aprilia’s current dominance and to hold its own against Ducati, with a Grand Prix win in their sights (so far only one victory on record with Acosta, but in the Sprint in Thailand). There was some progress in the Jerez tests, the feeling is they’re getting closer and closer, and the hope is to soon make that crucial click needed to consistently compete with the tricolor manufacturers, the current queens of MotoGP. Even though today wasn’t without surprises...

The Austrian brand, after well-known financial issues, is lifting its head again and is looking to reinvest a lot of energy into the MotoGP project. Rumors are intensifying that its satellite team Tech3 might be heading to Honda, but Gunther Steiner has repeatedly stressed that he hasn’t decided and is in no particular hurry, something also acknowledged by KTM’s top brass. “A project is definitely more solid with four bikes than with two” Pit Beirer told motogp.com during the Practice sessions just concluded in Catalunya. “There’s a new owner now and Gunther told us from the start, ‘Give me time, don’t pressure me!’ Clearly we would like Tech3 to stay with us because we’d certainly be stronger together, and we’re working on it.” Beirer once again highlights Tech3’s role in the development process and that of its riders—at the moment more Enea Bastianini than Maverick Viñales due to the well-known physical issues—though the Spaniard is certainly focused on giving his absolute best.

After the rumors concerning Alex Marquez—still unofficial but considered a done deal—another market story involving KTM is the strong rumor about the (for now presumed) upcoming arrival of Fabio Di Giannantonio, said to be leaving the VR46 Racing Team and Ducati to embrace the Mattinghofen project. “As of today he’s super yellow; I don’t know if we can turn him orange,” was Pit Beirer’s first joking response regarding the Roman rider. “The conversation is very intense, though,” he admitted, without revealing too much but hinting at a not-so-remote possibility. As for the current Tech3 riders, he was more mysterious: “We need to talk to them and hear what they want. We’ll decide soon.”

If you like the content from our news outlet, you can select it as a preferred source by clicking HERE