MotoGP: KTM confirm Tech 3 as satellite team

Austrian manufacturer KTM has confirmed speculation that the Tech 3 squad will become their official satellite team from the 2019 season. The news was hinted at as soon as Yamaha announced last week that the French team would be ending their 30-year relationship with them, and was confirmed today by KTM.

Completing the missing link in a chain that now stretches from the Red Bull Rookies series to a factory Moto2 leam but doesn’t include a junior team in the premier class, it provides a way for the links of Sam Lowes, Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder to make the jump from their factory Moto2 machines into MotoGP without going straight to a factory team.

However, it’s believed that the new deal will see Tech 3 line up next season with factory machinery similar to what is already being used by the Red Bull KTM (and former Tech 3) duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró – something that has always been missing from their Yamaha deal.

And while that’ll be a bonus to Tech 3, KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer says it’ll also make the factory team stronger too.

“We are very happy to join forces with Tech3 in MotoGP from 2019. The team has many years of experience and achieved a lot of great results in this championship. Their professional structure will make us even stronger. Having four KTM RC16 on the grid is also another big step for us, both for the development of our MotoGP bike and expanding KTM’s structure in the paddock. From the Red Bull Rookies Cup up to MotoGP there is a clear path to the top. We are looking forward to start a great cooperation and I’m thankful towards Hervé Poncharal for the future trust in KTM.”