KTM charts its 2027 MotoGP future with Maverick Viñales

Whatever people may say, KTM’s project for the new 850cc MotoGP era is moving full steam ahead.

The first prototype has already hit the track at Jerez de la Frontera, with a detailed testing program planned throughout 2026. For Bajaj Mobility, the new name for what was once PIERER Mobility, a presence in the top class would also serve as a showcase for potential new investors (or buyers) of KTM Racing, which has been spun off (even if its budget is logically directly dependent on Mattighofen) from the parent company. If a contract renewal for Pedro Acosta seems at least difficult at this point, the cornerstone goes by the name of Maverick Vinales.

In the first part of the season, the 2013 Moto3 world champion kept the KTM RC16 MotoGP project afloat with noteworthy performances. Lusail stands out above all, but Mugello (up until the contact caused with Morbidelli) wasn’t bad either. He often established himself as the best KTM rider on the grid, at least until Pedro Acosta’s definitive breakout. The chemistry between Maverick and KTM over the course of 2025 was excellent, to the point that he came very close to a promotion to the in-house Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team. If it hadn’t been for the nasty Sachsenring injury, there’s every chance that in the following Grands Prix he would have swapped seats with Brad Binder, with the latter consequently heading to Tech 3.

Accompanied by his 24/7 coach Jorge Lorenzo, Maverick Vinales was the only one among KTM’s full-time MotoGP riders to attend the factory’s end-of-season celebration at the racing department. Trust has been reciprocated between the parties, with the prospect of him becoming, in 2027, a cornerstone of KTM’s premier-class plans. He would be fielded by the factory team, on one of the two “orange” 850cc bikes that will race once the renewal of the five-year-based agreement with Dorna Sports/Liberty Media is finalized. The 2027 rider market has already started to move, and everything suggests the partnership between Vinales and KTM will continue.