MotoGP – Hafizh Syahrin and Miguel Oliveira in KTM Tech3?

Bruno Gomes

May 4, 2018

Will Hafizh Syahrin continue to race for the Tech3 team? Hervé Poncharal seems to want that!

With KTM Racing sorting the factory riders lineup for next two seasons, signing Johann Zarco and retaining Pol Espargaró, now it’s time for the Austrian manufacturer to help their new satellite team Tech3 to get two riders.

According to Hervé Poncharal, Tech3 team manager, there’s a strong possibility that the satellite KTM team will have Hafizh Syahrin and also Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira

“Nothing is done, there are a lot of possibilities, but Syahrin, Oliveira is a strong possibility,” Poncharal said. “I am very happy with Hafizh Syahrin. We were in a difficult situation when Jonas Folger decided not to race and finally we find an incredible, exciting and performant solution. The position of our team is clear, and this is what we discussed and planned and this is also the will of KTM, we are the junior team. KTM made it public they have offered Miguel Oliveira the possibility to step up to MotoGP class with Tech 3 and full factory support from KTM”.

As for Syahrin, it’s clear that the Malaysian rising star in MotoGP has earned his space in the paddock and teams now look at him as a rookie with great potential.

Inside Tech3 team Poncharal is also happy the results Syahrin obtained in the first rounds of the season, so the French manager will do everything he can to keep Hafizh Syahrin in the new KTM Tech3 team.

Miguel Oliveira will rise from Moto2 to MotoGP

As for Portuguese star Miguel Oliveira, he’s been having a great time with KTM Racing.

He was runner-up in the Moto3 World Championship a few years ago, and then moved to Moto2 class where after rejoining the KTM family he helped develop the KTM machine in this class.

Oliveira is the best KTM rider in Moto2 and has been under the radar of some MotoGP teams, and so it’s logical that with Tech3 being a junior team for KTM, Miguel Oliveira should be joining Hafizh Syahrin.

Only time will tell, but at the moment, the strongest possibility for Hafizh Syahrin is to continue within the Tech3 team, this time on a KTM bike, alongside Miguel Oliveira.

At least during the 2019 MotoGP season, because there’s rumours that in the future Malaysia could have a team in the top tier class of motorcycle racing, since it seems some Sepang International Circuit representatives are in Jerez this weekend negotiating this deal.