A large segment of the KTM GP Academy has been set for 2027. Multi-title winning Grand Prix race team, Red Bull KTM Ajo, will attack the MotoGP™ support categories with three of their current riders and will welcome Rico Salmela into the frame.
The crew run by Niklas Ajo - and with Grand Prix trophies in both Moto2 and Moto3 in 2026 to-date - will field Collin Veijer and Jose Antonio Rueda in the intermediate division for the second year in a row and Brian Uriarte and Rico Salmela on the KTM RC4 in the world championship’s entry class.
Veijer, 21, will enter his third Moto2 season in 2027 and the fifth Grand Prix term of his young career. The Dutchman has a podium finish in both 2025 and 2026 in Red Bull KTM Ajo colors. Rueda, 20, the 2025 Moto3 World Champion, will end his maiden attempt at Moto2 in 2026 and will seek more improvements and momentum for 2027.
Uriarte, 18, has been a standout rookie in Moto3 so far in 2026 with two victories and a total of five podiums. The winner of both FIM JuniorGP and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2025 continues his education on the KTM RC4 and will be joined by Finnish prospect Rico Salmela. The 18-year-old transitions into the Ajo structure from Red Bull KTM Tech3 where he has negotiated a fine debut season with bright spells of speed and potential and five top ten finishes (three in the top five positions of a Grand Prix).
Collin Veijer: “I’m very happy to continue with the team and very grateful to KTM and Red Bull for continuing to believe in me for next year. I’m also grateful to Niklas and Aki [Ajo] for giving me the chance to stay with this amazing group of people. I will try to make the most of every opportunity and push to my absolute limit, as I always do. I aim to move closer to my goal of eventually becoming a MotoGP rider. I hope that one day we can make that dream a reality -and I hope it happens with KTM. I’m very excited about this new opportunity together and can’t wait for the new season to start; I expect it to bring us even more joy, building on what we’ve experienced during these first two years in Moto2.”
Jose Antonio Rueda: “I’m very happy to be staying at the team of my dreams: a team that has witnessed so much of my growth over the last four seasons. I’m thrilled to be making steady progress in adapting to Moto2, and doing so alongside the Red Bull KTM Ajo family is fantastic for me. I’m confident that 2027 will bring us plenty more success, following this rookie year where I’ve had to adjust to a new way of working in every possible aspect. Continuing our journey together was my priority, so I’m delighted to confirm that I’ll be competing in my fifth season with the team.”
Brian Uriarte: “I’m incredibly proud to be continuing with this team for another season. We’re having a great year and are in excellent form, so we need to keep that momentum going. I feel very comfortable and happy here, and I’m really looking forward to continuing to give 100% alongside everyone else. Next year, we’ll be among the contenders fighting at the front, so we need to prepare thoroughly for 2027 to achieve the goals we’ve set for ourselves. It will be a question of managing things well and putting into practice everything I’ve learned during my rookie year. I’m really excited to get started and to take on this wonderful challenge.”
Rico Salmela: “I’m very excited to join the Ajo Family. I’ve been already working many years with Niklas and Aki and, to be honest, they’ve been supporting me for a long time, so I can only say thanks to both of them, same as Red Bull, for keeping their trust in me. This is a dream since I was a kid: joining a Finnish team that is at the top level of this sport is just amazing. Sometimes dreams come true. Let’s try to prepare ourselves in the best possible way for next year and try to enjoy with everyone involved in the project.”
Niklas Ajo, Team Manager: “Obviously we’re really excited to sign Rico for our Moto3 team in 2027. We’ve known Rico since he was really young starting his career in Finland and the dedication he had already back then was something we have seen rarely. We’re also extremely motivated and happy to continue with Brian, who has already shown in a single season that he will be one of the guys to follow next year. His evolution has been amazing during his rookie year and we can expect a lot from him in the coming years. We’re really confident that again we have one of the strongest pairs in Moto3 next year, who have also been formed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup program, which always means a lot to our project and everyone involved, starting with KTM, Red Bull and the rest of the partners. Moto2 is one of the most competitive and tightest motorsport categories in the world and being able to continue with the same riders for another year with one more season of experience under their belt will for sure give us the chance to fight again for those victories and podiums every weekend. Collin has been growing with us during the last two years, and now he has shown that he has what it takes to make a final step to be in the front of the class, Jose Antonio is about to start his fifth season together with us, something only Brad [Binder] has done in the past. His rookie season has not been the easiest, but we can already see the signs that he will be a top contender in Moto2 as well in the near future.”