KTM boss Neumeister on the toughest times: “All company credit cards blocked”

KTM had been waiting for a GP victory in the premier class since 22 October 2022 in Thailand (Miguel Oliveira); at their home race at the Red Bull Ring on 20 September, the moment finally arrived – in the presence of all the key figures and sponsors; even Bajaj’s Chief Financial Officer, Dinesh Thapar from India, was attending a MotoGP event for the first time and was clearly impressed. For KTM, Pedro Acosta’s victory – his first in a full-length race in the premier class – was a sporting breakthrough, but also a clear and symbolic sign that things are looking up after the crisis-hit years.

Neumeister: “Motorsport is the most important thing for us”

“I only manage to make it to MotoGP three or four times a year and always hope that I bring the team luck,” said Gottfried Neumeister, Managing Director of Bajaj Mobility AG and KTM AG since 23 January 2025. “Even during the most difficult times, we were able to deliver in motorsport and have already won six world championship titles this year, in addition to the Dakar Rally. Motorsport is in our DNA. It is the most important thing for us and serves as our testing ground. What we learn there, we incorporate into our series production.”

Neumeister was brought to KTM by the former owner, Stefan Pierer, in the autumn of 2024; he steered the company through the restructuring process and got it back on track financially. “A year ago, I was asked whether we could continue to compete in motorsport,” recalled the new KTM boss. “We were burning through money and the question was legitimate. However, this also created a great deal of uncertainty and there were rumours as to whether we would sell the MotoGP team or bring a partner on board. It was very important to me that I restored a sense of security to the team. We’ve signed a new five-year contract with MotoGP and we won’t be selling the team – not even a small part of it.”

Neumeister: The MotoGP title is the goal

“The MotoGP title is one of the few we haven’t yet won, and we’re fully committed to it. We’re here to win,” emphasised Neumeister. “That’s what drives and motivates us – there’s a clear plan. We’ve overcome all the obstacles of not having enough budget. I never tire of repeating that our team members drove to the Dakar and paid for the fuel out of their own pockets because all the company credit cards had been blocked. They didn’t know whether they’d get their money back or still have a job when they returned. That’s the spirit that has kept KTM alive. Motorsport was our guiding star – everyone could see that we could achieve something, no matter how difficult it was.”

We had problems, but they’ve been sorted out.

Gottfried Neumeister

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In conclusion, the Austrian said: “The team now feels secure again: there’s a full commitment to the sport, the budget is recovering and we can concentrate on racing. Yes, we’ve had a very difficult season with ups and downs and injuries that affected our performance. We had problems, but they’ve been resolved and our bike is getting better. We can be proud of that; we’re still in the running. Now we just need to take a few more baby steps and hopefully we can keep improving.”

Gottfried Neumeister (li.) mit Ivo Schützbach

Foto: gerhard schiel

Acosta was the standout rider on the KTM RC16 at Spielberg; in the World Championship, the 22-year-old Spaniard is in fourth place and still has a chance of winning the title. Following this performance, world champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo) promptly tipped him as the favourite for the next Grand Prix in Japan in early October.