KTM's 2025 Mea Culpa Tour ?
"significant PR damage"
by Dean Adams
Sunday, December 29, 2024

When your bosses make mistakes, the consequences can sometimes significantly impact your career—just ask Brad Binder. At 29 years old, Binder has dedicated his entire professional racing career to KTM. Maybe it’s time to start considering a move to WSBK, Brad? Image by the great Brian J Nelson
A report in the highly respected Austrian news site/paper "The Standard" is reporting today that what KTM, wants, hopes for, now, is a 2025 farewell tour. According to that report at the end of the 2025 season KTM will leave MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3.
"According to the restructuring administrator, research and development expenses amounted to almost 200 million euros in 2023, while motorsport expenses were 95 million euros. For a company the size of KTM, these expenses are "exceptionally high", also in relation to the competition."
"The production stoppage until the end of February could be extended by four weeks, and the motorcycles in the warehouses of the ... sales subsidiaries KTM, Husqvarna and Gasgas will be sold off."
"From the 2026 season, KTM also wants to say goodbye to motorsport, specifically from the MotoGP, Moto3 and Moto2 road racing series. The drivers' contracts are limited to two years, and because KTM management expects "significant PR damage" in the event of early termination, the company does not want to leave until 2026; the annual savings would be 46 million euros."
Again these are humbling times for the former swashbuckling Austrians who came into MotoGP with swagger, calling Honda a bunch of cheaters while hiring and firing whoever they wanted.
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