For the last two years, the Sword of Damocles has hung over the heads of everyone who works at KTM's MotoGP effort. Since the company's financial insolvency proceedings, the question of funding the operation has been questioned and even cut off at times, leading everyone to wonder whether KTM would still make it to the grid.
And with Bajaj stepping in and purchasing the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer, those questions of what the new owners would do, given the word on the street was that Bajaj was looking to cut costs, continued. Indeed, RideApart even reached out to Bajaj to ask them, "What's up with KTM's MotoGP team?" as rumors of grid spot sales and the outright cancellation of the program were spreading like wildfire.
Bajaj, unfortunately, never responded, and that didn't seem like Good NewsTM. Neither did the rumors of Red Bull pulling out of the company's contract with KTM.
But recent reporting states that not only are Red Bull staying with KTM, but the team also has the continued backing of its new corporate parentage in Bajaj. It seems to be that KTM has pulled off another miracle, allowing its MotoGP efforts to survive to fight another day. Whether or not Pedro Acosta stays at the team, well, that's a different story.
The rumor of its survival comes on the heels of Liberty Media's acquisition of MotoGP and its likely further partnership with Formula 1. With that latter series' ascendancy in recent years, MotoGP is potentially primed for its own meteoric rise in popularity, though that isn't guaranteed. But even the possibility of a boost in visibility is something that has paused Bajaj's thinking about killing KTM's MotoGP program, according to MotoGP News.
"The topic of investors is currently off the table for KTM," states the outlet, adding, "as Bajaj can easily manage the project on their own. Furthermore, they want to see MotoGP under the ownership of Liberty Media, as the sport’s revenue is predicted to skyrocket, as was the case with F1."
Let's first talk about the investors comment, as one notable event in recent memory is that of Formula 1's Guenther Steiner purchasing a controlling stake in KTM's sister team, Tech33. The former team principal led a group to snag Tech33, and now aims to get the satellite KTM team back on the podium. However, they aren't the only ones looking to buy into MotoGP, as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have all expressed interest in buying into a team, too, and both F1 champions were linked to possible deals with KTM late last year.
There was also the possibility of a manufacturer like Suzuki or BMW buying KTM's grid places, as both want back into the sport, and those in charge are being real big pains in the ass to let them back in.
The outlet's reporting also states the obvious: Liberty Media's F1 playbook could send MotoGP to the moon. Now, it's obviously hard to capture lightning in a bottle twice. But given the stature of Formula 1 at present around the world, and the moves Liberty Media has already made to begin incorporating MotoGP into its portfolio and media onslaught, as well as F1 drivers' love for motorcycle racing, there's a real possibility that MotoGP could have the same fan renaissance that Formula 1 had. That alone is incredibly enticing to anyone, but likely more so to a company like Bajaj hoping to recover from the financial insanity it just bought into.
As for official word, RideApart reached out to Bajaj's representatives to ask whether or not the reporting was accurate, but hasn't heard back by the time of publication. If and when we hear back, we'll update this post. So stay cautiously optimistic for now, as maybe, just maybe, KTM pulled off another miracle resurrection.
