Dirk Gruebel spent eight years as Red Bull KTM team manager, taking on the role in 2015 before departing in 2022. During that time, he established himself as an important figure within the Austrian manufacturer’s Motocross programme, but since his departure, the team has struggled to find someone who has remained in the position for more than two seasons.
While the De Carli side of the KTM operation has remained relatively settled, with Claudio De Carli and his son Davide continuing to play key roles, the Austrian side has experienced a significant amount of change in its management structure.
With KTM just announcing that Joel Smets will leave the team as part of a restructure, Stefan Simpson has been promoted from technical manager to team manager for the 2027 season. But how have KTM’s previous appointments fared since Gruebel’s departure, and can Simpson finally bring some stability to the role?
2023: Antonio Cairoli
Following Gruebel’s departure, Antonio Cairoli became the first man tasked with taking over the team manager position. The nine-time world champion needs little introduction, having enjoyed one of the most successful careers in motocross history before retiring from full-time professional racing.
Given his vast experience in the sport, Cairoli appeared to be a natural fit for a management position within the team. However, the transition from full-time racing to team management may have come too quickly, with the Italian still having ambitions to compete in selected races himself.
Balancing those ambitions with the demands of managing a factory team was always going to be challenging. After just one season in the role, Cairoli moved on to a new opportunity with Ducati, where he could test and develop the manufacturer’s motocross project while also contesting selected races.
Although his time as team manager was brief, KTM still enjoyed success in 2023, with Andrea Adamo delivering the MX2 World Championship title for the Austrian manufacturer.
Ultimately, Cairoli’s departure from KTM allowed him to pursue a different path in the sport, one that combined his experience as a rider with the opportunity to help develop a new project.
2024: Harry Norton
Harry Norton was the next man handed the responsibility of managing the Red Bull KTM team, marking a rapid rise through the ranks for the Australian.
Norton initially arrived in the Grand Prix paddock as a mechanic, but his ability and understanding of the sport quickly made an impression. After just two years, he had progressed to the position of team manager, a significant promotion that demonstrated the confidence KTM had in him.
Taking on such a responsibility after a relatively short time in the paddock was always going to be a steep learning curve. The role involves much more than understanding the technical side of racing, with rider management, team organisation and the pressure of delivering results all forming part of the job.
Norton’s first season would undoubtedly have provided valuable experience, and there is an argument that allowing him more time in the position could have helped him develop further. However, KTM ultimately decided that a change was needed.
Despite leaving the motocross team manager role, Norton has remained within the KTM organisation, continuing his career in the Enduro world.
2025-2026: Joel Smets
Joel Smets was the next appointment, bringing considerable experience and an established connection with the KTM team to the position.
The Belgian, a five-time world champion himself, had already been an influential figure within the organisation before taking on the team manager role. His knowledge of the sport and experience working with riders made him a logical choice to lead the team.
Smets was already well established within KTM’s structure, while his background gave him a strong understanding of what was required to compete at the highest level.
There was also success during his time in charge. In 2025, Simon Längenfelder delivered the MX2 World Championship title for KTM under Smets’ management, providing another major achievement for the Austrian manufacturer.
However, things have not gone entirely to plan during the 2026 campaign. Längenfelder will be hoping to return to the sharp end of the field in 2027, while KTM has now decided to make further changes to its management structure.
As part of that restructure, the team has confirmed that it will part ways with Smets after just two seasons in the role.
Given his previous influence within KTM, his departure represents another significant change for the Austrian side of the operation and continues the pattern of short-lived appointments since Gruebel’s exit.
2027: Stefan Simpson
Stefan Simpson now becomes the latest man tasked with leading Red Bull KTM’s factory motocross operation, having earned a promotion from technical manager to team manager.
His journey through the sport has been a particularly interesting one. Growing up around motocross, Simpson was heavily involved from an early age, with his brother, Shaun, competing in the Grand Prix paddock.
After becoming a mechanic, Stefan continued to build his experience within the industry before taking on roles with WP. He eventually returned to the Grand Prix paddock full-time, working his way into KTM’s structure and becoming technical manager before earning his latest promotion.
That background could prove valuable. Having worked on the technical side of the team, Simpson already understands the demands of developing and preparing machinery for competition, as well as the processes required to keep a factory operation running.
Simpson will be hoping to achieve something none of his predecessors have managed since Gruebel’s departure: establish himself in the role for the long term.
Can Simpson bring stability to KTM?
Since Gruebel left in 2022, KTM has appointed four different team managers across the 2023-2027 period, with none of the first three lasting longer than two seasons. While each appointment has brought its own circumstances, the repeated changes highlight the difficulty the manufacturer has faced in finding the right person to lead its Austrian motocross operation.
Cairoli had his own ambitions to continue racing, Norton was promoted rapidly after arriving in the paddock as a mechanic, and Smets brought years of experience within the organisation before being replaced as part of the latest restructure.
There is no guarantee that keeping one person in the role for longer will automatically deliver better results, but stability can be important in a factory team where relationships, long-term planning and consistent direction all matter.
Simpson has the advantage of already knowing KTM’s operation and having worked closely with the technical side of the team. That familiarity could help him make the transition into management, although the pressure to deliver results will be immediate.
Only time will tell, but after several years of turnover, KTM will undoubtedly be hoping that Simpson is the man who can bring some much-needed continuity to its factory motocross programme.
