On Thursday Pol Espargaro and Yamaha Tech3 announced they would be parting company at the end of the 2016 MotoGP, with the Spaniard confirming his switch to KTM shortly after.
Espargaro moved up to MotoGP with Yamaha in 2014, finishing sixth in the championship before ending the 2015 season in ninth overall.
He is currently seventh in the standings in what will be his final season with Yamaha before moving over to KTM for 2017 and 2018 to join his current Tech3 team-mate Bradley Smith.
KTM joins the series next year as a factory outfit, with the Austrian manufacturer now completing its line-up with the signing of Espargaro.
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-120x86.webp)
"I am going to sign with KTM for the next two years and join the new adventure with them,” he said on the news.
“New team, new bike in MotoGP. I saw the opportunity to try something different and to try and be with these guys in the future.
“Working together with KTM will be crazy hard, but I’m ready to work. They also showed me they’re ready to work.
“We have an agreement for two years and I want to thank Yamaha, Herve and Lin as they gave me the chance to grow in MotoGP and this is my dream come true.
“I have to say thanks and also to Ducati and Avintia because they showed a lot of interest too but we couldn’t go that way. Happy to face this adventure with KTM and finish this year well.”
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-350x250.webp)
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