Pedro Acosta shares the ‘most important’ thing KTM must solve to be competitive during the 2025 MotoGP season

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KTM have struggled to start the 2025 MotoGP season but there are signs that the tide may be beginning to turn.

Both Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta secured their best results of the season at the Grand Prix of Spain and finished within 10 seconds of victory.

Although neither rider is entirely satisfied, the KTM bike appears to have a little more pace now and should only improve with upgrades during the season.

The factory riders are now separated by just one point in the MotoGP riders’ championship, but they could have managed a lot more without mistakes and poor reliability in the opening five events.

Binder wants to catch Maverick Vinales who has been the quickest KTM rider in 2025, but Tech3’s extreme setup solutions may not suit anyone else.

Vinales says Acosta has ‘more desire’ than any of his colleagues, and his youth can be an advantage to him. Equally, it can be to his detriment after an ill-judged message to KTM staff.

READ MORE: Pedro Acosta’s agent quietly met with 25-win team boss in MotoGP paddock as KTM exit routes assessed

Pedro Acosta says KTM need to ‘qualify well’ to be competitive during the 2025 MotoGP season

After qualifying 12th in Jerez and climbing five positions during the race, it’s pretty clear that the RC16 is a better bike on Sunday than it is on Saturday.

Acosta left KTM engineers bemused in Qatar after rescinding his complaints about a chatter issue, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped trying to improve.

Speaking to Diario AS after the Grand Prix of Spain, Acosta mentioned that they must find more qualifying pace if they want to be near the front this season.

“There was a moment at the end of the race where we were the fastest on track, and I also made up time on Maverick,” he said.

“Now we just need to qualify well, which is the most important thing right now, and how to get grip on the road in the first part of the race, which is what we’re missing.”

READ MORE: Pedro Acosta bemoans the ‘not logical’ problem that ‘stops me’ as MotoGP star demands KTM investigation

Could Pedro Acosta switch MotoGP teams for 2026?

With Acosta’s contract set to expire at the end of 2026, and no guarantees over KTM’s future in the sport, he should generate a lot of chatter in the paddock.

Honda have shown interest in Acosta for 2026, one year before his current deal is set to expire, but they would have to pay for him.

With a regulation change arriving for 2027, picking the right project will be crucial. VR46 were ‘in the lead’ for Acosta just two weeks ago, but things can change quickly.

Having a Ducati bike will be an attractive proposition, but how long it will and can be dominant is up in the air.

It’ll be up to the Italian manufacturer to keep innovating and developing, otherwise they risk being overtake by their rivals and losing the chance to sign Acosta if he opts to remain elsewhere in 2026.