Slaw Dog
It looks like Red Bull KTM has found its replacement for Antonio Cairoli, who is retiring at the end of the 2021 MXGP campaign.
The team announced today that it has signed 20-year-old Tom Vialle to a massive four-year extension. His new deal will stretch to the end of 2025.
The defending MX2 World Champion will move to the MXGP class in 2023.
Tom Vialle: “I’m so happy to continue with KTM. I want to give special thanks to Robert and Pit because they understand me and my wish to make another year in MX2 because I had some bad luck this season. I want another title. I feel so good with the team – Dirk, Joel, Valentina, Harry, the whole crew – and I wanted to carry on with them. It was an easy decision. KTM is my first team! They were the first people who believed in me, so I am very grateful.”
Robert Jonas, VP of Motorsports Offroad: “When Tom came into the Red Bull KTM team he was given the opportunity to show what he could do and he worked hard, listened, learned and delivered. I think he is a shining example to any youngster wanting to follow the same path. He has vindicated the belief that people like Joel Smets and Dirk Gruebel had in him and we’re delighted to watch how he’s progressed and become such a force with the KTM 250 SX-F. We’re also proud that we can continue the story together and it’s fantastic to create this longer-term project with Tom for both his last MX2 season and into MXGP. If we can continue as we have so far then we hope to have another special rider, team and machine combination coming up.”
