Red Bull and KTM want two LCR seats for Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta

The Pierer Group, which owns KTM, is in touch with Lucio Cecchinello, the LCR owner, and wants to bring him into the KTM camp, Speedweek report.

Cecchinello replied with “a telling silence” when asked if he would fulfil his contract with Honda until the end of 2024, the report states.

KTM initially hoped that they could have two extra bikes on the grid, perhaps for Marquez and Acosta, but that plan was shot down by MotoGP sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta.

Red Bull and KTM proposed to Dorna, the championship’s promoter, to let Aki Ajo, the Moto2 and Moto3 team boss, have two MotoGP bikes for the next three seasons which would pair Marquez with Acosta, according to the same report.

A new plan is to take over an existing satellite team.

Mooney VR46, Pramac and Gresini Racing are continuing with Ducati next year, RNF with Aprilia. LCR are contracted to Honda for next season.

LCR are in their 18th MotoGP season with Honda, but the Japanese manufacturer is in crisis.

Alex Rins, the LCR rider, was one of three riders sidelined through injury from the most recent round and he is also heavily linked with quitting Honda to join Yamaha, having complained earlier in the season that he wasn’t being utilised to develop the bike.

Takaaki Nakagami is the other current LCR Honda rider.

Their problems are summed up by Marquez’s plight - the Repsol Honda rider hasn’t even completed a grand prix in 2023 yet.

Marquez is contracted to Honda on a big-money deal for 2024 but speculation will not disappear that he could somehow engineer a move for next year. The KTM links are in part due to Red Bull, their mutual sponsor.

Meanwhile, Acosta has demanded a promotion from Moto2 to MotoGP with KTM who must find him a seat somehow.

Their factory pair Jack Miller and Brad Binder are locked in, and so is Tech3 GASGAS veteran Pol Espargaro, leaving his teammate Augusto Fernandez vulnerable although his performances have impressed this season.

Taking over a second satellite team would enable KTM, the manufacturer who have most closely fought the dominant Ducati this year, to deliver a dream team of Marquez and Acosta which would spice up next year’s grid.