Enea Bastianini is set to ride for Red Bull KTM Tech3 in MotoGP for the 2025 season. However, when he signed the contract, the off-track crisis engulfing the Austrian manufacturer was not yet apparent.
Adding to the situation, the departures of two key team leaders – Francesco Guidotti and Fabiano Sterlacchini – were announced after the deal was finalized.
Carlo Pernat, the manager of the Italian rider, commented to MotoGrandPrix: ‘When we signed with KTM, Francesco Guidotti and Fabiano Sterlacchini welcomed us. At that time, KTM was the best option after leaving Ducati because the bike was performing very well, as demonstrated by [Pedro] Acosta. The contract also included «Pigiamino» [Alberto Giribuola], which was a condition of the deal and without which it wouldn’t have held any value. And, indeed, he remains part of the setup’.
Reflecting on the subsequent departures of Guidotti and Sterlacchini, as well as KTM’s financial troubles, Pernat admitted that Bastianini’s decision might have been thought more carefully: ‘Certainly, in hindsight, given that just a few days later Guidotti and Sterlacchini were let go, we might have thought more about it’.
Regarding KTM’s precarious financial situation, Pernat expressed confidence that the competition department would remain unaffected: ‘There’s also the financial crisis, but on the racing side, there shouldn’t be any problems, largely thanks to Red Bull’s support. KTM will have four identical bikes’.