Pedro Acosta sees Aki Ajo as “best prepared” to lead KTM to title

Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta, partners in the official KTM team last year, will be bossed by a man they both already know very well. A few days ago, the manufacturer announced the departure of Francesco Guidotti and the appointment of Aki Ajo, eponymous boss of the team which led Binder to the Moto3 title in 2016, then Acosta in the same category in 2021 and in Moto2 last year.

“I’m super happy”enthused the Spaniard upon the announcement of this appointment, certain that with his strong character, Ajo will be the ideal man to help KTM triumph: “I think there is no one in the paddock who is better prepared for this goal, to fight for a title in MotoGP. He is a special character, for sure, but who has helped me a lot by the past. I like his directness. I spoke with him this afternoon and I think we will form a good association together.

“He is one of the best bosses and team owners in this paddock”insisted the one who currently rides for Tech3, interviewed by the official MotoGP website. “For sure he’s the guy we need to really fight for the championship. We know he’s cold as ice but when it’s time to bang his fist on the table, he does it. I I’m very happy to work with him again and excited to see how he will handle a MotoGP box.”

An opinion fully shared by Binder, who has already worked alongside Ajo for five seasons in the smaller categories. “I worked with Aki for many years and I am very happy to see him again”underlined the South African. “He’s a very cool guy, he makes things very simple even when they’re not. I think he’ll bring a lot to our team.”

“One thing Aki is very good at is understanding where we can improve and working on the really important things. I’ve always seen him be very good at that and he’s incredibly good at fighting for what he believes in, what we need, what it takes to be faster or improve. I think he’ll be very good at that.”

Jack Miller is preparing to leave KTM to join Pramac next season, but he is probably closest to Aki Ajo, who is also his manager. He believes that the Finn’s grip will be beneficial for KTM.

“Aki doesn’t need this job, he doesn’t really care about it: he just wants to win”Miller explained. “He comes in with that mentality, he knows what he wants and nothing more. He does things his way, he has that kind of influence and power. I understand both sides. I know Aki has turned down this role several times but I think now is the right time. It will be interesting.

“Obviously I’m sad because it’s special to work with Aki, it’s something I really enjoyed. We’ve worked together for the last ten years, so working with him again in this role would have been fantastic , but that’s the way it is. What bothers me the most, what worries me the most, is being against him! I know what he’s capable of as a team manager. will bring a lot.”

Guidotti did not have “the best tools” to lead KTM

Aki Ajo’s appointment comes as KTM appears to be floundering this year. The brand is struggling to fight with Ducati and this summer, it suffered a first departure, that of its technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini. Guidotti, for his part, will leave the brand a year before the end of his contract, but Miller was keen to defend the record of a man he also knows very well, since he was also his boss at Pramac and then at KTM.

On the official website of the championship, he described it as “absolute bullshit” the ideas according to which Guidotti would be responsible for the lack of form of KTM, and mentioned a “fantastic leader”. Faced with the press who came to question him, he above all felt that the leader had not had the means to really change things: “Francesco tried to take a role but I don’t think he was given the best tools, let’s say, to do the right thing. That’s partly his responsibility […] but I don’t feel he was able to do the right thing.”

The Italian, for his part, avoided any controversy and ruled out the fact that it could be “sad news”. He reacted to the microphone of the official site: “I think it’s the right change at the moment. KTM is a great company and after the last five or six years they decided to move to something different. We have grown a lot in the last three years and I think Aki is the right person to finalize the work now.”

“He has good credibility in the company, he knows the drivers he will manage next year very well and I don’t see any problem as far as I’m concerned. I did my job, I’m satisfied with this that I did and I’m glad that someone can finalize the work for this company”, Francesco Guidotti concluded.