KTM MotoGP Exit Rumoured for 2026

According to reports in the Austrian media, KTM could be planning to end its participation in MotoGP after the 2025 season, a move which could save the company close to €50 million annually.

Last month KTM confirmed it would be taking part in the upcoming MotoGP season, rubbishing rumours of any exit from the world championship despite ongoing financial problems.

KTM’s current debt is thought to be over €2 billion and several measures have been put in place in order to try and stave off bankruptcy. Not part of the cost-saving plan just yet is pulling the plug on its racing programme in MotoGP, and the Austrian manufacturer will continue to race RC16 prototypes in 2025.

That means Maverick Vinales, Enea Bastianini and Pedro Acosta, all of whom are on multi-year deals with KTM, and Brad Binder who is contracted until the end of 2026, will represent in the brand’s famous orange colours this year.

However, 2026 is a long way away and rumours of a planned exit have been floating around following the first creditors’ hearing last month.

A report by the Alpine Creditors Association (AKV) after the first hearing explained that the current measures to bring sustainability to its future included a ‘planned’ exit by KTM from MotoGP.

Austrian news outlet Der Standard then speculated that KTM’s MotoGP exit will come in 2026, which is the final year of its current deal with Dorna Sports. According to the Der Standard report, KTM management expects “significant PR damage” if it were to shelve its MotoGP plans before then.

However, analysis from the Boston Consulting Group suggests KTM’s future is looking good, although it’s also important to stress that an annual saving of €46 million could be made by ending its grand prix programme.

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