Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta knows exactly what he wants KTM to deliver over the next few months if they are to stand a chance of retaining his services for 2027.
The Spaniard has been ever so close to a maiden MotoGP victory for some time, and ended up scoring five podiums this season.
He had an issue with KTM’s bike for some time, and felt as though they needed to make a better effort to make it go faster.
With Acosta set to be a hot commodity on the MotoGP rider market, there’s pressure on his team to deliver, or risk losing their superstar asset.
So far at KTM, Acosta has had a big advantage over Brad Binder and ended up scoring nearly twice the number of points that his teammate managed.
Just a few days ago, Acosta called 2025 a ‘wasted year of life’ and felt as though he could have achieved a lot more if he had the tools to do so.
READ MORE: KTM say Pedro Acosta is ‘the best rider’ after Marc Marquez, but they’re wrong
Pedro Acosta tells KTM they ‘have to’ find four tenths amid Ducati and Honda interest
Marc Marquez has been told to ‘fear’ Acosta when he comes back from a shoulder injury in 2026. The title battle may end up being a little closer.
After being asked the question himself, Marquez called Acosta an ‘opponent’ and is braced to do battle with the 21-year-old.
However, for the new regulations in 2027, he could be on the move if he continues to be frustrated with his current predicament. He has told KTM what they ‘have to’ find over the next few months, if they don’t want him to pursue a ‘golden ticket’ opportunity for 2027 with Honda.
“For sure, it never is enough,” he said on TNT Sports’ coverage of the post-season test. “When you have a better bike, you want something else to have a bigger advantage compared to the rest. First of all, we have to find three or four tenths around.
“Try to find some more tyre life, and after that, we should be OK. I have zero stress about that [talking his future]. If you are fast, it’s not necessary to go that fast. I don’t know, I’m quite happy with the clue that I have now, bike should improve, that’s clear.
“I’m not stressed, I’m just focused on making the best impression I can, try to bring to the first race of the year, the best bike we could, after that, try to keep going with this consistency that we are showing at the end of this year.”
READ MORE: What Pit Beirer privately revealed about KTM’s future in MotoGP amid Pedro Acosta exit rumours
How Pedro Acosta had the best run of his MotoGP career to end 2025
Across the final five Grands Prix of 2025, Acosta ended up being the most consistent rider on the grid, finishing in the top five at every race.
That breakthrough win will come soon enough if he continues in a similar vein of form to start next season. He needs to start a little faster than he did this year, though.
He’s likely to enter contract discussions quite soon into the season, and the majority of teams are likely to be interested in his services.
Who wouldn’t want to have the most up-and-coming rider in the format to be competing for them? It feels inevitable that he’ll have a world title within the next few years.
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