- Uniform livery for factory team and Tech3 also in 2026
- Four KTM RC16s once again in the familiar orange
- 2026 season decisive for the future of Pedro Acosta
After several mixed years, KTM is entering the 2026 MotoGP season with clear goals. The manufacturer is once again focusing on a unified appearance with four almost identical motorcycles and an unchanged rider line-up. At the same time, the project is at a critical point in terms of both sport and strategy.
Uniform appearance of KTM and Tech3
KTM and the French customer team Tech3 presented their motorcycles for 2026 together in a short online event. As in the previous year, both teams will compete with identical livery. The orange and dark blue color scheme will remain unchanged and continue to characterize the appearance of all four KTM RC16s.
Tech3 is thus once again effectively acting as an extension of the factory team. After the GasGas branding, which was used in 2023 and 2024, was discontinued as part of cost-cutting measures by the Pierer Mobility Group, the team has been competing under the name Tech3 KTM again since 2025. This constellation will remain unchanged in 2026.
New to the motorcycles is the Motorex logo, which will once again be the official lubricant partner in 2026, replacing Mobil 1. Otherwise, the motorcycles show hardly any visual changes, which has become the norm at KTM.
Rider lineup remains unchanged
In terms of racing, KTM is focusing on continuity. Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder will once again ride for the factory team. As in the previous year, Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini will be competing for Tech3. All four riders are under contract directly with KTM.
However, the stability on paper does not hide the fact that performances in 2025 varied greatly. Acosta was the clear top performer, while Binder, Viñales, and Bastianini fell short of expectations for long stretches.
A new motorcycle for 2026?
While the paintwork has hardly changed, the focus is on the technology. After three years without a Grand Prix victory and an overall disappointing 2025 season, the RC16 is said to have been significantly redesigned for 2026.
During the presentation, Pedro Acosta spoke of a motorcycle that was “built from zero.” He said:
“Maybe not completely, but I feel like it’s a completely new bike, built from zero.”
Acosta pointed out that the updates in the 2025 preseason were more like further developments of older concepts. It was only in the middle of the season that KTM made noticeable progress.
He now sees significantly more new approaches for 2026 and senses a different mood at the factory. For 2026, he now sees significantly more new approaches and senses a different mood at the factory.
Teammate Brad Binder confirmed this assessment, describing the 2025 motorcycle in retrospect as a kind of derivative of its predecessor. For the winter of 2025/2026, on the other hand, significantly more new components and concepts are available, which have already shown initial small improvements during testing in Valencia.
The importance of the tests in Sepang
Whether the cautious optimism is justified will become clear very early on. The shakedown test will take place in Malaysia from January 29 to 31, followed by the official Sepang test from February 3 to 5. These days in particular are considered crucial internally.
KTM Motorsport boss Pit Beirer made no secret of the fact that the manufacturer has not yet convinced Pedro Acosta to stay beyond 2026. “We haven’t done enough yet,” Beirer said openly. Translation: We haven’t done enough yet.
However, he emphasized that KTM had deliberately waited and now had to deliver. The decisive factors are not only fast lap times, but above all the feeling of the riders and whether known problems have actually been solved. Only then will talks about the future be held.
Acosta’s future remains open
Pedro Acosta himself consistently avoided questions about his future. When asked, he explained:
“We are in ’26. I want to make good results.”
The focus is currently exclusively on the tests in Malaysia and the 2026 season. Everything is open for 2027. At the same time, there are increasing reports that a move to Ducati is already well advanced. In Spain, there is even speculation that his departure is almost inevitable.
Should Acosta actually leave KTM, Maverick Viñales is considered internally as a possible candidate for the place in the factory team from 2027. Nothing has been officially confirmed.
Pressure on Binder and Bastianini
In addition to Acosta, other riders are also under pressure. Brad Binder said that 2025 was his most difficult MotoGP season to date, finishing the year in only 11th place in the World Championship. Enea Bastianini managed to secure a podium finish in Barcelona, but then fell back significantly and ended the season in only 14th place.
Personnel changes have been made for both riders. In 2026, Binder will work with Phil Marron as his new crew chief, who previously worked with Toprak Razgatlioglu for a long time. Bastianini will be taken over by Andres Madrid, who was previously responsible for Binder.
Whether these changes will have the desired effect should become clear during the first tests.
A season with a signal effect
The 2026 season is more than just another year on the calendar for KTM. Following the change of ownership to Bajaj Auto, a prolonged victory drought, and the uncertain future of its most important rider, there is a lot at stake. In sporting terms, the project must demonstrate that it can be competitive again. Strategically, it is about regaining trust.
The coming weeks will show whether the new motorcycle will actually deliver the hoped-for improvement. However, one thing is already clear: for KTM, 2026 will be one of the most decisive MotoGP seasons since its entry in 2017.
What does that mean for me as a MotoGP fan?
For MotoGP fans, the 2026 season at KTM means one thing above all else: keep a close eye on things. The unified appearance of the factory team and Tech3 signals stability, but at the same time, the project is under scrutiny from a sporting perspective. The upcoming tests and the first races will show whether KTM has actually made the announced technical leap forward or whether familiar problems will continue. The development of Pedro Acosta is particularly important in this regard, as his performance and his future decision could have a significant impact on how competitive and attractive KTM is perceived to be in the coming years. It is also worth looking beyond the top, as personnel changes at Binder and Bastianini could provide clues as to whether KTM is making progress across the board or continuing to lag behind Ducati and Aprilia.
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