KTM engineers left completely bemused by one thing Pedro Acosta said in Qatar Grand Prix feedback

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KTM were the surprise package of the Qatar Grand Prix as Maverick Vinales finished in a stunning second place. However, he was hit with a 16-second penalty for a tyre pressure infringement.

That left Pedro Acosta as the highest-ranked KTM rider at the Lusail International Circuit. The Spaniard climbed to ninth from 12th in the Grand Prix but was promoted to P8 after Vinales’ penalty.

Acosta’s fellow countryman produced arguably the performance of the season as he fought at the front after qualifying sixth. Vinales even led the race for a long period after passing Marc Marquez.

However, the Tech3 rider encountered a tyre pressure issue, with Vinales letting Marquez pass for the lead to try and mitigate the problem. It was not enough as the 30-year-old was demoted to 14th from second.

While Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini again struggled at the Qatar Grand Prix, Vinales and Acosta found drastic improvements. The RC16 looked competitive and capable of challenging the Ducatis, as the former proved.

It was the first time in 2025 that KTM looked like a strong contender at the front. The result has left Acosta and the team completely bemused.

Pedro Acosta’s chatter issue on the RC16 ‘improved dramatically’ in Qatar – KTM do not know why

Journalist Simon Patterson says that Acosta’s chatter issue on his bike ‘improved dramatically’ in Qatar. It was a huge issue in 2024 that has carried into 2025, with KTM suffering a ‘horrific’ rear tyre issue during pre-season testing.

Chatter has persisted on the RC16 throughout the season thus far, but in Qatar, it suddenly improved. Speaking via The Race MotoGP podcast, Patterson says Acosta and KTM do not know why or how the problem was solved.

“I don’t think KTM are going to be able to take too much from it, because whenever we ask Pedro Acosta afterwards what had changed, what was different and what the story was,” he said.

“He was like: ‘I have no idea. We didn’t do anything different with the bike, the bike is basically the same bike as it was yesterday.’

“His bike was better as well, the chatter issues that have been completely hamstringing them went… not went away but improved dramatically.

“And they don’t know why. There has to be a bunch of Austrians heading back to the factory today thinking: ‘Yeah, yeah, good result, but it’s weird that we don’t know why.”

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

Pedro Acosta’s chatter improvement is encouraging but also concerning

On the one hand, Qatar was an encouraging sign for KTM after not looking competitive at all before the weekend. Acosta is ‘so frustrated’ with the team’s situation that he does not care if he crashes – he has done so twice already in 2025.

While Vinales’ penalty was taken away, it showed the RC16 can be competitive. KTM will want to carry the momentum into the next round at Jerez.

However, the fact the team do not know why the chatter issue suddenly improved is a concern. It highlights how in the dark the manufacturer is in 2025 after a difficult winter period.

Acosta has demanded an investigation at KTM as his braking issue is ‘not logical’ on his bike. The team will also look closely at why the chattering improved.