MotoGP – Jorge Martin cancelled 2021 KTM contract in favour of Ducati

It has been confirmed that Jorge Martin had a 2021 KTM contract but opted for a clause to leave this contract before the season started.

According to Speedweek, Jorge Martin, who is a title contender for the 2020 Moto2 world title had a KTM ride for 2021 with the Tech3 team already signed and ready, but activated a clause in this contract to leave before the season even started. The clause stated that Martin had a Tech3 MotoGP ride for 2021, however if KTM were not in the top 10 of the MotoGP riders championship before the end of June, he could leave the contract.

It was confirmed unofficially not long ago that Jorge Martin will ride for the Pramac Ducati team in MotoGP for 2021, but new news has been found by Speedweek confirming a Tech3 deal with the spaniard.

Stefan Pierer and Pir Beirer had already chosen Martin to ride for them in 2021 before the season even started, this was following talks of him replacing Johann Zarco in the Red Bull KTM team, however Martin wanted to win the Moto2 title first, becoming a Moto3 and Moto2 champion.

When Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci were confirmed at the Tech3 team, Martin tweeted an ’emoji’ of someone strugging “🤷‍♂️” before quickly deleting it, but it was too late at this point and Martin had let it slip that he was not impressed by the move.

Pit Beirer had his say on Martin’s contract saying, “The MotoGP clause was part of the Moto2 contract with Jorge Martin, it wasn’t freshly signed this spring. It was his Moto2 contract that included this binding MotoGP agreement. There was, however, a release clause for the rider if we didn’t make it into the top ten in the MotoGP riders’ championship at the end of June.”

This clause meant that Jorge Martin could leave the contract without consequences and look elsewhere for a MotoGP ride, the problem is that although it is true KTM were not in the top 10, it was also true that a MotoGP race had not been held yet due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“His manager then claimed that KTM was not in the top ten. I replied: ‘But we’re not outside the top ten either, because we haven’t competed in a race yet and that’s why there is no [top 10 in the] championship standings. Unfortunately, the rider and manager didn’t trust us. That’s why they took the emergency exit. ” Finished Motorsport director Pit Beirer who is unimpressed by the manager of Martin, this is due to the fact that he has pushed Martin to leave his KTM contract whilst they are funding the entire Moto2 project in order to put these KTM riders into their KTM MotoGP team, the KTM Moto2 team is a feeder team.

Pit Beirer continued with, “If someone lets us down in the corona phase, then we will think twice about whether we want this driver back in the family at some point. But that’s not an issue at the moment, because with Binder and Oliveira in the Factory Team and Petrucci and Lecuona at Tech3 we have four excellent drivers for 2021 with whom we want to shape the future. ”

This news confirms a burning of the bridge between Martin and KTM, however with Martin riding for Pramac Ducati in 2021, he will be on incredibly competitive machinery.

Featured image – www.motogp.com

Source – Speedweek.com