Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are pleased to announce the signing of a multi-year contract extension with Manuel Lettenbichler. The agreement will see the recently crowned FIM Hard Enduro World Champion remain with the team for the coming years.
Words & Images: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
After delivering incredible performances as a KTM-mounted privateer, Lettenbichler first signed to the factory team in 2019. Since then, the young German has enjoyed season after season of exceptional results in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship – not least, his back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.
Not only has Mani claimed the hard enduro crown over the past two seasons, but he has also been victorious at some of the most iconic events on the calendar. The 25-year-old has won the intensely challenging Red Bull Romaniacs four times over the past five years, only missing out on victory in 2022 when a two-hour penalty put him on the back foot early on. He still fought back to place sixth.
Lettenbichler holds the record as the youngest rider ever to win the infamous Red Bull ErzbergRodeo, a feat he completed in 2022 at just 24 years old. Mani then went on to take victory at the Iron Giant again in 2023, on his way to securing a historic clean sweep of the Hard Enduro World Championship where the KTM 300 EXC racer topped every single round.
Looking ahead to the 2024 season, Lettenbichler and the team will initially focus on the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, where Mani will return to the series for the first time in two years. Following that, attention will switch to the Hard Enduro World Championship where he will be aiming to secure back-to-back titles and continue the dominance that has already ensured his place among the all-time legends of the sport.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “It’s pretty epic for sure! I think the team is doing a great job, so I definitely want to stick with them and stay in orange. My journey with KTM has already been amazing, especially the past two hard enduro seasons. To win in 2022 after injury and missing a round was incredible, but to do the clean sweep this year is unbelievable – I couldn’t have done it without the whole team behind me. Overall, I’m really happy to stay with KTM for the years to come, I have a strong family behind me in the crew so I hope we can keep on doing exactly what we’re doing right now!”
Fabio Farioli – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Enduro Team Manager: “I am very happy to continue working with Mani now and into the future. Mani is one of the best riders, so we are happy to have him, and we love working with him. It’s a pleasure both from the racing side and the working side. I’m really happy for Mani, for the team, and for the company. Hopefully we can bring home a few more titles together!”
