KTM parts ways with Joel Smets; Stefan Simpson becomes new team principal

Ahead of the 2027 Motocross World Championship, there is a significant change in leadership at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Joel Smets is stepping down from his role as team manager. His successor will be the Scot Stefan Simpson, who will be responsible for KTM’s entire Grand Prix programme in the MXGP and MX2 classes.

The end of a successful era

Smets has been part of the management and advisory team at the Red Bull KTM factory team since 2015. During this time, the Belgian has helped develop riders who went on to become Grand Prix winners and world champions, such as Tom Vialle, Jorge Prado and Andrea Adamo.

Smets also has close ties to KTM as a rider. Now aged 57, he won five world championship titles, the last of which he secured on a KTM. This makes him one of the defining figures in the manufacturer’s motocross history.

Alongside Smets, KTM also thanked other long-serving staff members who have been involved in the successful Grand Prix programme since the introduction of the current World Championship format in 2004. The reorganisation is therefore unlikely to be limited solely to the post of team manager.

Simpson knows KTM inside out

Stefan Simpson is no outsider. The Scot, who lives in Austria, previously worked as a mechanic for Red Bull KTM in 2009 and 2010. He subsequently gained more than 15 years’ experience in technical fields as well as in research and development.

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Over the past two years, Simpson has held a leading position in development management, during which time he has already worked closely with the racing team. He is now taking the helm of the entire Motocross Grand Prix programme.

“I have been preparing for this role throughout the past 15 years of my career,” explained Simpson. “I have big shoes to fill. We have a strong team and the company is fully behind us for the coming years. This team has won many titles and we are already working flat out for 2027.”

KTM aims to continue competing for both World Championship titles

The change in leadership comes after a season in which three of the four KTM factory riders won at least one Grand Prix. Furthermore, riders on the KTM 450 SX-F and the KTM 250 SX-F held the red plate of the championship leader in both World Championship classes.

Despite the personnel changes, there will be no change to the sporting ambitions. “Our priority remains to maintain high quality and consistency so that we can regularly compete for world championships,” emphasised KTM Offroad Racing Director Robert Jonas. “Stefan brings with him his knowledge of the sport and the company, as well as the KTM mentality. We know that the project is in very good hands with him.”

It remains to be seen, for the time being, which riders KTM will field in MXGP and MX2 in 2027. The full squad is due to be announced shortly.