Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta is still eyeing his first victory in MotoGP as he prepares for his third season in the premier class, but the Spaniard doesn’t rate his chances too highly after seeing the lap times that Ducati riders were clocking in.
After another impressive season with sub-optimal KTM machinery, Pedro Acosta is set to take to the race track again in the Austrian constructor’s orange-adorned livery despite his previous qualms over the calibre of their prototypes.
Acosta was linked with a Ducati move through VR46 several times during the 2025 term, but was forced to honour his current contract with KTM following the emergence of several other riders who wanted out of their own respective teams.
The links between the young Murcian and Borgo Panigale haven’t subsided yet, though, and Acosta is now understood to have signed an agreement with Ducati over a seat for him at the factory team in 2027.
That’s still another year away, however, and the 21-year-old isn’t at all looking forward to spending another year behind the Italian constructor.
What jumps out from the race simulations? ⏱️
Pedro Acosta isn’t optimistic about the upcoming MotoGP season after seeing Ducati’s race simulation data
During an interview with journalists following the conclusion of the third and final day of testing in Sepang, Acosta bluntly shared his true feelings on the upcoming season after seeing Alex Marquez’s impressive lap times from his race pace simulations.
The KTM star said, via Motosan, “That’s scary. And the way things have been going, it’s going to be a year of suffering and putting on a fake smile.
“So, well, we know that Alex is very strong here, we know that Ducati is very strong here, the five were at the front. Only [Marco] Bezzecchi got in.
“I think we have to wait, it’s too early. It seems that Aprilia is continuing on the path it was on last year. It seems that Ducati, I’m not going to say unexpectedly, but it seems that they have taken another step forward.
“I don’t know where from, because the bikes already seemed to be going very well, but it seems that once again all the riders are doing well.
“So, well, I think we have to keep working in our own way, because in the end we can’t control what others do.”
Acosta’s attitude has got him into hot water at KTM several times in the past, and there’s no doubt that bosses from the Austrian constructor will have something to say about his most recent comments.
During the 2025 campaign, it appeared as if Acosta was finetuning his attitude, which actually led to an improvement in his results on the race track.
- READ MORE: Neil Hodgson says Pedro Acosta has the same ‘perfect’ attribute as MotoGP ‘king’ Valentino Rossi
Predict the order of the KTM riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Pedro Acosta is still eyeing his first win in the premier class
Acosta’s frustrations with the current calibre of KTM’s RC16 most likely stem from his lack of a Grand Prix victory in the premier class.
The young Murcian had to endure rookie Fermin Aldeguer taking his maiden win last season, as well as Raul Fernandez replicating the Gresini star just one round later in Australia.
Acosta is widely regarded as one of the most promising talents currently on the grid, but the wait for a maiden trip to the top step of the podium is ever-increasing.
He may get that opportunity in the upcoming season, but it’s clear that he may have to take advantage of some chaos unfolding in front of him on the race track to be able to see the chequered flag first.
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