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Red Bull KTM will aim high for 2026 and have re-touched arguably the most distinctive race livery on the MotoGP grid for the new assault on the timing screens. Numbers will define the campaign: the milliseconds on the track, the hours of work by dedicated team staff, the days of planning by factory engineers and the weeks of strategy to get ahead of the game both for 2026 and with a view to the next generation of MotoGP racing machinery.
Digits and data.
4: Pedro Acosta’s 2025 world championship ranking in the Spaniard’s second year in the premier class. Pedro equalled Red Bull KTM’s highest standing, achieved by current teammate Brad Binder in 2023 (and Pol Espargaro tied on final points for P4 in 2020).
6: Rounds of the 2026 MotoGP calendar that count as home events for the Red Bull KTM quartet in a season of 22 Grands Prix, 22 Saturday Sprints, 18 countries and nine months of racing.
7: Days until the first official pre-season test takes place at the Sepang International Circuit, followed by the 2026 MotoGP launch in Kuala Lumpur on February 7, the second test from 21-22 February at the Buriram International Circuit in Thailand and then the Thai Grand Prix at the same venue from 27 February-1 March.
14: Podium Grand Prix trophies and Sprint medals gathered by Red Bull KTM in 2025.
17: Top five Grand Prix finishes logged by the current Red Bull KTM line-up in 2025.
24: Combined seasons of experience for the Red Bull KTM crew as 2026 begins (2 for Acosta, 6 for Binder, 5 for Bastianini and 11 for Viñales)
366.1: Kmph – the MotoGP top speed record posted by the KTM RC16 with Brad Binder in 2023 and matched by Pol Espargaro in 2024 at the Italian Grand Prix. Will the number remain through 2026?
3,600,000: A record attendance by fans at the circuits in 2025 – an increase of 21% over 2024 – and evidence that MotoGP is on the move.
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “In the second half of 2025 we were starting to make good races, good results, even when we were not having our best days. We were able to manage to be in this top five constantly. All-in-all it was really good to be able to fight for 3rd place in the Championship. Thanks to the team and to KTM, for this. We go for more this year and to start in the right way from Sepang next week.”
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “It’s been a great off-season. I took a couple weeks off and got a lot of riding done, a lot of cycling. I’m looking forward to a fresh start again this season and hopefully we can get back to the performances I know I’m capable of. MotoGP is tough: if you look at the lap times and there’s almost nothing in it, but the way every single rider does it is always different. Some on the brakes, some on throttle, some completely different riding styles. Last year I felt like I was thinking the whole time on the motorbike, instead of letting just my natural ability take over and that’s one thing that I want to change for this season. Just really enjoy riding the bike a bit more. I’m quite confident that I can make a good step up.”
Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech3: “It was so important to reflect on 2025 because it was a complicated year, I think, but also it was good in a way because I’ve learned a lot. 2026 will be different because I will know more about the bike, about the team.I think I will be much stronger. I’m motivated to be back on track because I want to fight again for something important. This year I think the factory will be very strong. I saw much potential, especially during the test in Valencia last year. I think we are Ready to Race, ready to fight.”
Maverick Viñales, Red Bull KTM Tech3: “Last year was a great experience for me: I needed to understand many things in a very short period of timebut after two races I started to understand the bike, I started to understand how it works, so I was able to be competitive very quickly. Then we had the crash in Sachsenring. There were two or three ways to recover but we needed to discover which one was the best for my shoulder, for my type of injury, and the guys in the Red Bull APC helped me to follow a way to recover quicker. Now, I feel that I have a big responsibility to make this project a winning project. This is something really nice because I always feel that when I have this type of pressure – when I have this type of responsibility – I am at my best. So, I’m ready to ‘eat’! I have a lot of energy for this year.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Last year was somehow quite special for us after a challenging start. We had steady improvement during the season. I really feel that we made a big step generally for all the communication and for simplifying many aspects. Things were coming and results were coming by understanding and bydaily improvement. You just focus for small daily steps because it’s not easy to do big steps in short time, short term. We know the potential of the bike, the riders, the teams and the group. This means we can be excited about the potential for 2026 but we will keep patience in the work and focus.”
Nicolas Goyon, Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager: “2025 was emotional. We had some huge highs and unfortunately some down moments in the season but it’s part of this sport. We started this collaboration with KTM in 2019 and I have to say that since then the factory has been helping us more and more. 2025 was the season where we’ve received more than ever. Both teams were evolving at the same level. Now,we’re really looking forward to work with our new management, I really feel we’re prepared for this new season, this new era. So overall, excited about this new challenge.”
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “We have four fantastic riders in our group and each one has something very special. Last year, I feel we couldn’t really make the package ready for everybody to show their best potential. So that was the highest target we had over the last weeks: to make sure everyone gets what he needs to perform. We have belief, and many strengths and we stick together as a team. This makes me very confident that we have all the right people on board, and the bike improved quite a lot over the last weeks and months. I feel we are ready to race. 2026 will be a busy year: on one side everybody wants to look to ‘27 and think about that. But I just don’t want to forget ‘26 is around the corner. We want to make this year our year, and use all the chances we have. It’s time to go for it in ‘26.”
