Pedro Acosta may panic after hearing what KTM staff were told before Spanish Grand Prix

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KTM seemed to be heading in the right direction after their descent into a financial crisis. Just before the MotoGP season began, creditors approved a restructuring plan.

The MotoGP team aren’t at fault for the company’s huge 10-figure debt. But naturally, there was talk that the motorsport programme could be axed as a cost-cutting measure, even though the company’s slogan is ‘Ready to Race’.

The Austrian manufacturer’s profound problems rather faded into the background, allowing their factory team and satellite squad Tech3 to focus, outwardly at least, on racing. They’ve scored 42 points in the constructors’ so far, only enough for fourth in the championship but just seven behind second-place Honda.

However, it’s now emerged that the aforementioned creditor deal, which would have seen KTM pay around €600m (£512m) of their debt this spring, is no longer feasible. They won’t be able to meet the May deadline.

Everyone at KTM factory has now been placed on leave, alarm bells for MotoGP team

As reported by Motorsport.com, the news means that KTM have once again had to suspend motorcycle production at their factory. It was only last month that it got back underway.

Every member of the staff at the facility has been placed on leave. The situation is described as ‘dangling by a very thin, very frayed strand’.

Significantly, the MotoGP team work out of the same location. There’s no indication that they’ve had to halt bike development yet, but it would be naive to assume that there will be no knock-on effect.

For Pedro Acosta and the rest of the rider roster, there may be a sense of panic. Maverick Vinales’ ‘P2’ in Qatar (which he lost due to a tyre pressure breach) could have been a launchpad for their season, but now there will be fresh doubt over the viability of the race team.

Pedro Acosta may have made critical comment about KTM at the worst possible moment

Acosta would be best-placed to cope if KTM eventually had to withdraw. He’s already one of the sought-after riders on the grid.

Amid rampant speculation about a possible exit, Acosta is taking the same approach as Marc Marquez and trying not to say anything incendiary in public. Marquez ensured he treated Honda with respect before he left for Gresini.

However, that doesn’t mean the Shark of Mazarron won’t voice his frustrations over the RC16. He’s recently switched back to the 2024 spec, clearly dissatisfied with the team’s work over the winter.

On Thursday, Acosta said KTM’s factory staff had to ‘get their act together’. In light of the latest news, he made those comments at the worst possible time.