KTM reveals the name of its future team director

KTM will hand over its factory MotoGP team to a new man from the start of the 2025 season, with Aki Ajo succeeding Francesco Guidotti.

Published on 30/09/2024 à 09:32

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KTM reveals the name of its future team manager

AKI AJO takes the reins at KTM ©MotoGP

Team Red Bull KTM, the factory team of the Austrian brand in MotoGP, confirmed yesterday in Indonesia the departure of Francesco Guidotti, who currently holds the position of team principal. The Italian, who has guided the oranges since 2022, will have collected two Grand Prix victories and 12 podiums. In Sprint, he will do almost better since he will guide Brad Binder and Jack Miller to 11 podium appearances as well as 2 victories.

A contribution that also allowed the team to see Brad Binder finish fourth in the Riders' Championship last year, and best non-Ducati rider. All this with a solid second in the Constructors' standings, which KTM is defending again this year.

“After three years with Francesco and a lot of positive progress and working methods, we are evolving the team with a different leadership approach, justifies Pit Beirer, director of KTM Motorsports. Making these changes is never an easy process and we can only warmly thank Francesco for what he has done in our MotoGP history. »

In 2025, Red Bull KTM will begin a new chapter in its history, which it has chosen to place in the hands of a man well known to the brand: Aki Ajo. The Finn will begin the brand's ninth campaign in MotoGP, with a crucial goal ahead of him, as the new technical regulations for 2027 are fast approaching.

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A change at the very top in @KTM_Racing! ️

Multiple championship-winning team owner Aki Ajo will take up the role as Team Manager for KTM from 2025 #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/6g9V8i8cj5

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) September 30, 2024

Acosta and Binder reunite with their former boss

Director of his own Grand Prix team, Ajo Motorsports, for more than twenty years, the boss of the eponymous team has notably enabled Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta – teammates at KTM in 2025 – to be crowned in the lower classes. While winning three consecutive titles in Moto2, from 2021 to 2023.

“It is an honour to be offered this new role and the opportunity to work in MotoGP with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, adds the main person concerned. At the moment MotoGP is at a very high level, so we have to continue working in many areas and use the strengths we have to raise this KTM package to an even better level.

We have to keep pushing. But I think this project already has a lot of good parts to be at the top, He continues. We have to manage them in the best way. Thanks to Stefan, Hubert, Pit and Jens. And to all the members of the KTM structure."

The Red Bull KTM Ajo structure in the Moto3 and Moto2 World Championship will, however, maintain the same working dynamic, which is based on the development of riders from the KTM GP Academy.

“We have a special relationship and a very close collaboration with Aki, so we felt it was the best decision to move the MotoGP project forward. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: he believed in us when we were organising in this paddock. So the trust and friendship is unmatched. The success of his team speaks for itself. He has won titles with the two riders who will be in the box for 2025. " concludes Pit Beirer