KTM axes legendary ex-racer from test role

Former Grand Prix racer Jeremy McWilliams has reportedly been dropped from his role as a test rider at KTM, a role he’s held for 15 years.

McWilliams, perhaps best known in a Grand Prix context for being the final rider to achieve a pole position in the premier class with a 500cc bike at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix, has been in-post at KTM since 2009.

According to the German publication Speedweek, McWilliams’ deal with KTM was supposed to last until the end of 2025, but it has now been terminated with immediate effect thanks to KTM's current financial woes, ending a collaboration of 15 years between the Mattighofen brand and the Belfast rider.

In his role as test rider for KTM, McWilliams has been involved mostly in production testing, although he was also drafted in in the early stages of the RC16’s development.

Most recently, McWilliams has been involved with the development of the Austrian manufacturer’s newest middleweight sports offering: the RC 990, set to represent KTM in Supersport classes against the likes of the Ducati Panigale V2, Kawasaki ZX-6R, and Yamaha R9.

Before his KTM involvement, McWilliams was brought into the BMW S1000RR project as the Bavarian marque was developing the first iterations of the bike that has now — with its new M Power variant — won the World Superbike Championship with Toprak Razgatlioglu.

The Northern Irishman has also been able to find himself running strongly in competition recently, too, having finished on the podium in the second Supertwin race at this year’s North West 200, and found himself contending for victories as a factory Indian rider in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers class for high-displacement touring bikes.