Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta has regularly voiced his frustrations with the calibre of KTM machinery, but his latest comments regarding the Austrian brand’s 2026 bike are encouraging as he looks to claim his maiden MotoGP win.
Even with Pedro Acosta’s move to Ducati appearing to be a done deal, the Spaniard still has another season to tend to with KTM.
Since joining the Austrian outfit at the beginning of his rookie campaign in 2024, Acosta has regularly outperformed the tools he has been given, cementing himself as the lead rider in the KTM stable despite lacking a lot of experience compared to the likes of Brad Binder and Maverick Vinales.
It has led to a lot of frustration from his side, and Acosta has publicly voiced his desire to leave KTM multiple times in the past.
However, ahead of what appears to be his final campaign in KTM colours, Acosta has seemingly changed his tune to a more positive outlook on the upcoming season.
Predict the order of the KTM riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Pedro Acosta praises the tyre management of KTM’s new bike for the 2026 MotoGP season
During his media duties following the conclusion of the two-day test in Thailand, Acosta shared an optimistic view of the season ahead.
His words were of stark contrast to what we heard from the Spaniard after the first pre-season test in Sepang. Acosta predicted a ‘year of suffering’ at KTM in Malaysia after seeing Alex Marquez’s impressive race simulations.
However, to the journalists present in Buriram, he said via GPOne, “The tests didn’t go badly. I’m quite happy with the time attack I did this morning and the position I was in: it was within the Top 5, which is normally our goal. I’m not far from the leaders.”
Acosta then touched upon the improvements he found in Thailand during the race simulations, adding, “In the afternoon, I worked on the race simulation, which went quite well.
“It’s true that Aprilia and Ducati look awesome, but I’m quite happy because we got to lap 24-25 without damaging the tyres. There’s a big difference compared to last year, and that’s why I’m happy.”
Tyre wear was one of KTM’s biggest issues during the 2025 MotoGP campaign, so it’s encouraging to hear the young Murcian praise the work that has been done behind-the-scenes at KTM over the winter break.
- READ MORE: Jorge Lorenzo bets Pedro Acosta’s manager that Maverick Vinales will beat him at KTM in 2026
No Yamaha riders in the top ten for lap count in Buriram 😬 Will any of their riders score points at the Thailand Grand Prix?
Let us know in the comments below!
KTM recorded the highest number of laps at MotoGP’s pre-season test in Buriram
Acosta’s satisfaction with KTM’s new iteration of the RC16 can be linked to the vast amount of data that their riders were able to gather during the Buriram test.
Out of all of the constructors on the grid, the Austrian constructor clocked in the most mileage, with Acosta and factory counterpart Brad Binder both recording 141 laps apiece of the Buriram International Circuit.
For the South African, the upcoming campaign is shaping up to be quite a decisive year in terms of his future in the category.
Maverick Vinales and Alex Marquez are tipped to be the factory KTM line-up in 2027, which means that Binder will need to show that he still has what it takes to compete among the best riders in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
If he fails to do so, it may mark the final year of South African representation in the premier class for the foreseeable future.
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