Until now, KTM had to race at reduced RPM—now its MotoGP rivals have agreed to an engine teardown so the faulty component can be replaced
In the first half of the 2026 MotoGP season, KTM was plagued by reliability issues. On several occasions, the motorcycles suddenly stalled. In Barcelona, this led to a serious rear-end collision involving Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta. As a precautionary measure, the engine RPMs were reduced.
KTM engineers were able to identify the cause of the problem. At the Sachsenring, Motorsport Director Pit Beirer explained that a component from a supplier was defective.
In order to be allowed to replace this part in the affected engines, KTM requested permission from the other four manufacturers to open the engines. During the Sachsenring weekend, only Aprilia initially agreed.
As a result, KTM was unable to use the summer break to replace the component in question. During the race weekend at Silverstone, Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha also gave the green light.
“We confirm that we have received the necessary approval to implement the corrective measures related to the technical issue we have been addressing,” KTM stated.
“Our goal is to carry out these measures as quickly as possible. In the case of Silverstone, we will continue to use the temporary solutions currently in place.”
On the fast track in Great Britain, the KTM riders will therefore have to continue riding at reduced engine speeds. KTM engineers will be allowed to open the affected engines at the KTM factory in Austria during the week leading up to the Aragon GP.
However, the engines may only be opened under the supervision of an official from the IRTA team association. This allows KTM to avoid having to use additional engines as the season progresses.
Since KTM is in Concession Class C, each rider is allowed eight engines per season. Using a ninth engine would result in a pit lane start.
