KTM's soon-to-be MotoGP team manager Aki Ajo has traits that should enable him have a more successful tenure than than of ousted incumbent Francesco Guidotti, according to rider Jack Miller.
Guidotti had taken over from Mike Leitner as the works team boss back in 2022, and has overseen a generally productive three-season spell for KTM that, nevertheless, never propelled it to the greater heights that would match the factory's ambitions.
He is now being sidelined in favour of Aki Ajo, the founder of the Ajo Motorsport operation that runs KTM's ultra-successful works teams in Moto3 and Moto2.
Miller, who like Guidotti is leaving KTM at the end of the year, is among those to have raced and won under Ajo, but has also had him as personal manager in the decade after leaving his Moto3 set-up.
And he believes Ajo will be less constrained in his new role than Guidotti - who Miller hinted was limited by job security considerations.
"I don't feel like he was given the best tools to do what needed to be done," said Miller of Guidotti, who he also raced under at Pramac Ducati.
"And that's partly on his side, obviously, protecting himself and his role. But I don't feel like he's been able to do what needed to be done.
"Whereas Aki doesn't need the job. He doesn't really give a s**t. He wants to win, that's about it.
"I think he's coming in with that mentality that he knows what he wants and that's it. It's his way or the highway [and] he has that sort of pull and that power.
"I understand it from both sides. And I know Aki, he's turned down the role on multiple occasions. But I think now seemed like the right time. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see."
Miller, who was quickly made expendable at the works team by the rise of Pedro Acosta and even briefly faced a potential MotoGP exit for 2025 before finding refuge at Pramac amid its new Yamaha tie-up, admitted it would sting to leave KTM just as Ajo is taking over the reins.
"Obviously I'm sad about it, because working with Aki is something special, something that I hold dearly to myself.
"We've worked together for the last 10 years. To work with him again in that sort of a role would be fantastic - but it wasn't to be. And what makes me more worried is we're working against him.
"And I know how capable he can be as a team manager. I think he'll be a good bullet in their chamber."
But Miller also told MotoGP.com that he also felt "sad" for Guidotti - who he has a "great relationship" with - and that it would be "absolute bulls**t" to blame Guidotti for KTM's failure to contend for a title, pointing to Guidotti's record at Pramac.
"Given the right tools, he could've the same job at KTM. But it wasn't the way to be, and that revolving door keeps turning".
Binder: Ajo's focus on 'simplicity' is key
In his first two years at KTM, Ajo will oversee a line-up made up of two riders who have won titles for him - Acosta in Moto2 and Brad Binder in Moto3.
"Aki obviously I have a really long relationship with, he picked me up already in 2015, when I joined his team," said Binder, who spent five of his eight full seasons in lower classes racing for Ajo.
"He's a great dude and we've had a lot of great times together. He's really such an awesome guy so I'm really looking forward to working with him again.
"Aki is the type of guy who really understands a lot but he also tries to keep things as simple as possible. Even in a very complicated sport, with a lot of complicated situations, he tries to make things as simple as possible and really work for what we need to improve.
"I think it can be really good for us. Excited to see what happens.”
Yamaha Motegi wildcard Remy Gardner, another one of Ajo's champion riders and a good friend of Acosta's, hit a similar note.
"I think the nice thing for that is going to be - with Aki, there's no bulls**t. It's black or white.
"Which is good, I think. Hopefully he can help along that project - and hopefully Pedro can take the fruits, the advantages of that!"
Acosta, for his part, described Ajo as "one of the greatest team managers and team owners around this paddock, and for sure the guy we need if we really want to fight for a championship".
"We know Aki is cold as ice, but when he needs to put the balls on the table, he will."
