Spielberg (Austria) (AFP)

Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM announced on Sunday that it will give up its official involvement in Moto2 next year to better focus on the MotoGP class, while its machines will be named after its brand Husqvarna Moto3.

This announcement preceded by a few hours the victory of South Africa's Brad Binder on a KTM at home on the Austrian track Spielberg at the GP of Austria Moto2. This is the first victory of a machine of this brand in this category this season.

If the KTM factory will withdraw from this category, it will nevertheless maintain close ties with the private Finnish Ajo Motorsports team to run motorcycles. These are since this year propelled by a common engine to all competitors designed by the British manufacturer Triumph and KTM manufactures only frames.

In return, KTM will deepen its commitment to MotoGP by extending its commitment in this five-year category to a total of seven years since the arrival of the Austrian manufacturer in MotoGP in 2017.

He is present this year with two factory machines entrusted to the French pilots Johann Zarco and Spanish Pol Espargaro and two others engaged by the Tech3 team and driven by the Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin and the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira. Tech3 has already announced that it will run next year in MotoGP Brad Binder will replace Syahrin.

In Moto3, where KTM has already won several titles, its motorcycles will wear from next year the colors of Husqvarna, a Swedish brand more than a century acquired by the Austrian manufacturer in 2013.

"We made the decision here at our Grand Prix National to renew our commitment to MotoGP for another five years as part of our overall strategic plan and we now have a total of seven years to reach the top of MotoGP. the same length of time it took us to win the Paris / Dakar Rally, we know we are on the right track and have made significant progress in less than three years, "said group CEO Stefan Pierer a press conference Sunday on the Spielberg circuit.

The KTM have not shone since the start of the season in MotoGP. Pol Espargaro was ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, 10th in the World Championship standings and Johann Zarco 17th in front of Miguel Oliveira. Hafizh Syahrin is him 25th.

© 2019 AFP