Pedro Acosta will be concerned when he sees Joan Mir’s ‘eyebrow-raising’ Honda data before Thailand Grand Prix

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Pedro Acosta and KTM delivered mixed results in the final MotoGP test in Buriram this week. Over a single lap, they’re competing with the frontrunners.

As the table below shows, Acosta finished testing as the fourth-fastest rider in the time attack scenario. He was within three-tenths of Marc Marquez’s formidable pace on the Ducati.

The KTM rider secured his first MotoGP pole at Motegi last season. He reached Q2 on 16 occasions and ended the year with an average qualifying position of 7.35.

Acosta looks well-placed to improve on that this season, having stepped up to a factory machine alongside Brad Binder. But the long runs are a concern.

One journalist observed that Acosta and Binder were dealing with ‘horrific’ tyre wear. Their rear rubber looked ‘chewed up’ when they returned to the pits.

The Thailand Grand Prix could be something of an outlier in this regard. It will be one of the hottest races of the year, increasing thermal degradation.

Honda rider Joan Mir outpaces Joan Mir in MotoGP race simulations

The Race have gathered the data from the long runs at the Buriram Test. Riders carried out both Sprint and Grand Prix simulations.

They caution that some may have used a Sunday fuel load over a shorter distance. Nonetheless, they estimate that Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi was the quickest over the first nine laps in Sprint configuration.

Surprisingly, given that they propped up the constructors’ standings last season, Honda’s Joan Mir is second fastest, three seconds slower than Bezzecchi after nine laps. Fabio Quartararo (+3.2 seconds) was fourth, splitting the factory KTM riders.

While Acosta was only a few hundredths behind Mir in third, it will surely be a concern to see a Honda ahead. Mir’s times were described as ‘genuinely eyebrow-raising’.

Is Pedro Acosta now facing a ‘rider safety issue’ at KTM before Thailand Grand Prix?

Acosta’s underwhelming Sprint simulation would support the theory that KTM are struggling with their tyres. There were plenty of complaints about the Michelin compounds over the winter, with many riders bemoaning a lack of grip in Sepang.

One journalist fears that Acosta could face a ‘rider safety issue’ because his tyres were so severely worn. If the issues are as severe as they seem, the 20-year-old will have to sacrifice lap time to get to the end of the race.

• READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend

Acosta admitted that KTM don’t fully understand their bike, which is another big worry so close to the start of the season. They are arguably the hardest manufacturer to read at this stage.

That’s partly because KTM cancelled their riders’ media scrums. With interview appearances limited, they weren’t able to fully explain the problems they were having.