MotoGP, "Passion never goes bankrupt": KTM relaunches with new ad

After Pedro Acosta's strong 4th place during the Buriram tests in February, KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer was hoping for a podium finish for the exceptionally talented rider at the start of the MotoGP season in Thailand yesterday. In fact, Acosta finished Friday in 3rd behind the Márquez brothers and then secured an 8th place on the grid. But his 0.538 second deficit from Marc Márquez's pole position time clouded his prospects of a successful race on the Chang International Circuit.

Acosta then managed to finish 6th in the Sprint, with Binder behind him in 8th. Instead, the two Red Bull KTM Tech3 riders, Viñales and Bastianini, had to settle for 14th and 18th place. In the full-distance race on Sunday, Acosta fell when he was in 9th position on lap 4. He picked himself up and continued but in 22nd position as the last rider, crossing the finish line in 19th place ahead of Lorenzo Savadori.  Brad Binder (14th place on the grid) and Enea Bastianini (who started from a 20th position!) prevented a real KTM disaster, finishing 8th and 9th. This at least meant that KTM successfully defended 3rd place in the Constructors World Championship against Honda and Yamaha after Saturday, and Binder and Bestianini are at least in 7th and 9th place in the MotoGP Riders World Championship. 

The Austrians found consolation in the Moto3 World Championship, in which the team of MotoGP team manager, Aki Ajo, with José Antonio Rueda and Álvaro Carpe, celebrated an impressive double victory.

KTM also honored  their slogan "Ready to Race" during the weekend of the Motocross World Championship opener in Cordoba (Argentina) where, in the MX2 class, De Wolf (Husky), Sacha Coenen (KTM), Längenfelder (KTM), Everts (KTM), and Adamo (KTM) from the Pierer Group now occupy the frist 5 places in the standings. However, there was a setback in the MXGP category: Lucas Coenen, the best KTM rider, only arrived in 7th and 8th place.

World Champion Jorge Prado's move to Kawasaki and the USA hit the Austrian manufacturer hard, while the outstanding Jeffrey "The Bullet" Herlings had to forego the trip to South America. The Dutch Red Bull KTM factory rider is still suffering from the after-effects of a cruciate ligament tear in his right knee, which he sustained on the sand in Valkenswaard in October 2024. Herlings achieved four GP victories, 15 podium places, and a third place in the overall standings in 2024.

The consolation for Pierer Mobility came in January: KTM won its 23rd Dakar victory in 26 years, plus they celebrated Supercross wins in America in 2025 with Chase Sexton (KTM) and Malcolm Stewart (Husky).

Lastly, KTM attracted attention yesterday in Austria with a full-page ad in the Kronen Zeitung, the republic's daily newspaper with the highest circulation.

Under the title "Passion never goes bankrupt", the article read: "We were too fast and crashed out of the corner. But we're getting back on our feet. The race goes on. The race for the future. The truth is, when your back is against the wall, there's only one direction ... forward! It's probably fate that we're a company that builds vehicles without reverse gear." 

It then continued: "READY TO RACE isn't just a slogan. It's our inner drive. Our riders know that, if you fall, you have to get back on the bike as quickly as possible. That's exactly what we have to do now. Forward, with courage, passion, and the same unshakable spirit that has always defined KTM." 

"The raod won't not be easy, but it never has been. KTM motorcycles were built for exactly this, overcoming hurdles, being successful on long journeys, achieving goals. No matter the condition. We're back and have learned from our mistakes. This also means that we listen more than ever to the people who accompany us. Above all, to our clients and our employees. We shouldn't only reinvent KTM for ourselves, but together with you. We'll have more transparency in the future." 

No names from KTM management are mentioned in this ad, but it's no secret that KTM's new CEO, Gottfried Neumeister wants to completely overhaul and improve the company's often neglected marketing and communications sector, which actually needs it.

The text printed on an orange background ends with the following words: "For everyone who has accompanied us through our recent lows ... Thank you! You're part of our journey, which is only now really beginning. You're the reason why we fight. To everyone who doubted us ... Watch us!“