Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will have a new MXGP team manager in 2027, when Stefan Simpson takes over from Joël Smets. Smets is leaving the position after two seasons, while KTM has framed the change as an organisational realignment.

Smets departs after a long association with the Austrian manufacturer. He joined KTM in 2015 and spent more than a decade in management and rider-support roles. He also won five world championships, the last on a KTM. KTM credits him with a central contribution to the development of Tom Vialle, Jorge Prado and Andrea Adamo, who went on to become world champions.

The team structure has also been split across two factory operations during the past two seasons. Smets ran the Austrian-based organisation, while Davide DeCarli led the squad based in Italy. In 2025, Jeffrey Herlings finished fifth overall in MXGP for Smets’ side and Simon Längenfelder won the MX2 title. During 2026, Andrea Adamo placed fifth in MXGP without a race victory. Längenfelder’s MX2 title defence opened with four wins and nine podiums over the first five rounds, before he ended the season fifth.

A move from engineering to team management

Simpson brings an engineering-led background to the role. He was a Red Bull KTM mechanic in 2009 and 2010, then spent more than 15 years working in technical development and research. His most recent position was a senior development post closely connected to the factory team, which he held for the past two years. KTM off-road racing director Robert Jonas said the objective is to preserve the quality and consistency needed to challenge for world championships on a regular basis. Simpson said his 15-year career had prepared him for the job and confirmed that work on the 2027 programme is already under way.