KTM engineers saw something exciting in Pedro Acosta’s data amid miserable Thailand Grand Prix

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It was a disappointing start to the 2025 MotoGP season for Pedro Acosta. The young sensation could only manage P19 after crashing on lap four.

KTM had serious question marks over their season with their desperate financial situation. Reporting debts of around £2bn, it was feared their MotoGP programme would be affected.

The approval of KTM’s restructuring plan is a major boost for the company, but there are prominent issues on the track heading into the new season. KTM suffered a ‘horrific’ rear tyre issue in pre-season testing in Buriram.

Nevertheless, Acosta continued to show his incredible talent. The Spaniard was consistently the fastest KTM rider in testing, pushing the limits of the RC16.

The 20-year-old finished sixth in the Sprint race in Buriram – again the highest-placed KTM rider. Neil Hodgson was stunned by Acosta’s ‘perfect’ pass on teammate Brad Binder at a ‘scary’ part of the circuit.

However, just four laps into the Thailand Grand Prix, the 20-year-old fell off his RC16 heading into turn one. It left him languishing at the back for the rest of the race, but Acosta did show some encouraging signs afterwards.

Pedro Acosta’s crew said his pace after his crash in Thailand would have taken him into the top five

Acosta was not the only rider to suffer a fall in the race. Honda’s Joan Mir crashed at the final corner in the closing stages and retired from the race.

The Spaniard had been struggling with his bike overheating, causing burns on his legs. But while Mir did not get back on his bike, his fellow compatriot did – and he was setting some strong pace on the KTM.

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

Acosta’s speed was so good that according to Adam Wheeler via the Paddock Pass Podcast, his crew told him after the race his pacer would have got him into the top five had he not crashed.

“Mir did also say in his debrief that riding the Honda today was the most unpleasant experience he’s ever had on a motorcycle just purely because the bike was burning him so much,” said Wheeler.

“And I think that also explained why he had a relatively slow crash at turn 12 and just walked away from the thing. There was no chance of him picking up what was a very hot potato.

“In contrast to say, Pedro Acosta, who jumped straight back on the KTM and was setting a pace at the back of the field which his crew informed him later perhaps would have carried him into the top five.”

KTM may have a ‘massive problem’ for the 2025 season

Acosta’s crash in the Grand Prix summed up a pretty miserable weekend for KTM. Teammate Binder managed the best finish of eighth for the manufacturer in Buriram.

Mat Oxley fears KTM have a ‘massive problem’ as Binder reported vibrations during the race. This was an issue with the bike last year, but Acosta and Binder do not bring up the problem when questioned by the media.

Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini finished just behind Binder in ninth after a good recovery from a horrible Sprint. The Italian has been struggling to adapt his riding style to the RC16 after leaving Ducati.

Teammate Maverick Vinales languished in P16 as he could not find any performance over the weekend. Vinales wants to analyse the front tyre to see if this gave Bastianini extra pace during the Grand Prix.