Maverick Vinales tells Pedro Acosta why he shouldn’t leave KTM to join VR46

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Pedro Acosta is unlikely to renew his contract at KTM. The Spaniard’s deal expires at the end of next year and, barring a major improvement in the brand’s competitiveness, he’s set to look elsewhere.

Valentino Rossi’s VR46 squad have been the leading suitors. Acosta was linked with Honda, but he turned down a move and they’re now focused on Jorge Martin.

Rossi has drawn up the financials of his Acosta offer, having held talks with the sophomore rider over the winter. But he’ll have to be patient.

Unlike Martin’s Aprilia deal, perhaps, Acosta’s KTM contract is watertight. They have learned from losing his compatriot to Ducati in 2020.

Speaking during the Assen weekend, manager Albert Valera acknowledged that Acosta is ‘not happy’.

Maverick Vinales warns Pedro Acosta that Ducati satellite riders may struggle to compete

In an interview with AS, Tech3 rider Maverick Vinales was asked about the links between Acosta and VR46. He cautioned his KTM stablemate against the move.

Vinales hasn’t raced for Ducati, but he is one of the most experienced figures on the grid with nearly 200 starts to his name. KTM are the fourth different manufacturer he’s represented.

Acosta is unlikely to achieve his title ambitions at VR46, he says. While Martin won the championship on factory machinery, Vinales finds it ‘hard to believe’ that will happen again.

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“In my experience, if you go to Ducati, you can only go one place,” he said. “You can only go to the official one if you want to fight head-to-head.

“I highly doubt that will happen again. I find it hard to believe. You can do very well from a satellite team, but in my experience, not all that glitters is gold. Right now, we know KTM is the second-best bike on the grid, but we have to work hard to become the first.”

Fabio di Giannantonio’s passionate response to Pedro Acosta’s VR46 links

Ducati’s CEO expects Acosta to win multiple championships, and according to MOW, the Borgo Panigale outfit could bankroll the deal.

That would appear to indicate that Acosta has a path to the factory team. He spent his rookie season at Tech3 before a swift promotion to KTM.

VR46’s Franco Morbidelli is out of contract at the end of the season, but he doesn’t have to worry about the threat of Acosta just yet. Teammate Fabio di Giannantonio is locked in until the end of 2026.

An angry Di Giannantonio told Acosta to focus on his own team when asked about the rumours. Acosta is KTM’s lead rider but has had to contend with an improving Vinales in recent races.