Angel Nieto Team confirms Moto2 return with KTM

The Aspar-run Angel Nieto Team has announced it will return to the Moto2 world championship running KTM machinery from 2019 after four seasons out of the intermediate class.

Aspar stepped away from the Moto2 class at the end of 2014 focusing its efforts in MotoGP and Moto3 but will re-join the intermediate championship ahead of its new era using Triumph engines in 2019.

The Angel Nieto Team has secured a partnership with KTM to run two bikes in Moto2, with riders set to be announced in the coming weeks, which strengthens its ties to the Moto3 squad which also runs KTM machinery.

Last month the Spanish squad confirmed its MotoGP grid slots would be taken up by the Petronas-backed SIC Yamaha satellite squad for 2019 as it joined forces, ending its customer deal with Ducati.

In a team release confirming the news, the deal with KTM to return to Moto2 ‘refocuses the team’s efforts’ in the junior categories to create a rider pathway up the ranks. Aspar also competes in the Junior Moto3 world championship.

The team has enjoyed success in the intermediate category with a total of 31 wins and 115 podiums plus runner-up championship finishes with Fonsi Nieto (2002), Sebastian Porto (2004), Alvaro Bautista (2008) – all in the 250cc class – plus Julian Simon (2010) in Moto2.

“We are really very happy to have reached this agreement with KTM, which will allow our project to continue growing with great results,” Jorge Martinez ‘Aspar’ said. “In only our first year together in Moto3 we have already won a Grand Prix, we have finished on the podium and we have been close on several other occasions.

“Now we will double our efforts and compete together also in Moto2. We are very excited to have a project that starts from base level, in the Junior Moto3 World Championship, and continues through Moto3 to Moto2.

“Our objective is to make it a winning combination in all categories and for us to get back to being one of the world’s leading teams.”