A cruel paradox for Enea Bastianini: just as he was finally getting back on track at Tech3, his team leader, Alberto Giribuola, decided to pack his bags. Destination? Pramac, to work with Toprak Razgatlioglu in 2026. A decision that set the powder keg alight at KTM, Tech3... and in the Italian rider's mind.
There are separations that leave traces. The one between Enea Bastianini et Alberto Giribuola is one. Their duo had just found a form of cohesion, after months of struggle on the RC16. In Catalonia, Enea signed his first podium with Tech3And yet, barely had this breath been found, the axe fell.
It's hard to be clearer. According to GP One, bastianini would have issued an ultimatum to Swivel after learning of his departure towards Pramac : " Either you stay with me until the end of 2026, or you leave right now. »
The team leader didn't have to think long. Less than two weeks later, he was no longer in the box. Tech3The Italian rider, for his part, found himself orphaned by the man who had accompanied him during his first climb to MotoGP. A second divorce, after a first separation at the end of the 2023 season, already laden with regrets.
The 2025 season of bastianini was until then in half-hearted. The former factory driver Ducati struggled to find its place in the project KTM, to the point that some rumors said he was ready to break his contract mid-season. Then, there was Austria (5th), Catalonia (podium), Brno (fall while he was aiming for the top 3) and a feeling of renewal.
Hervé Poncharal: “ Enea Bastianini was disappointed by this separation. It was painful for him. »
Swivel had a lot to do with it. As recalled Hervé Poncharal, boss of Tech3: “ Enea and Alberto understood each other perfectlyThey were a well-coordinated team. I understand why Enea was disappointed by this separation. It was painful for him. »
Poncharal does not hide his dismay: " It is impossible to reform such alchemy in a few days. There was no plan B. This separation happened almost overnight »
The departure of Swivel to work with Razgatlioglu at Pramac in 2026 comes as no surprise to anyone in the paddock. The Turk is one of the most anticipated rookies of the coming years, and a high-level technical staff is already positioning itself around him.
But for KTM, this maneuver comes at the worst possible time. After a laborious first half of the season, the Austrian brand was finally starting to compete with the Ducati on certain circuits. The dynamic was engaged.
What this story also reveals is the crucial importance of the human and technical bond between a rider and his team manager. In a MotoGP where the bikes are increasingly similar, it is the strategic partnerships that make the difference.
bastianini, with Xavi Palacin, begins a new (umpteenth?) reconstruction, at a pivotal moment. See you soon 28 years, he plays more than one season: he plays his legitimacy to stay in the project KTM long-term.
If the loss of Swivel is a short-term problem, it should not be the pretext for a collapse in 2026. KTM bet big on bastianini after having recovered it from the fold DucatiIt's up to him to prove he can still perform without a safety net, without a mentor, and without excuses. The bike is improving. The mentality is there. But the pressure is total.
