Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta feels KTM teammate Brad Binder has regained some of the “confidence” he lost after producing the worst year of his MotoGP career so far in the 2025 season.
Binder was the figurehead of the works KTM team ever since his MotoGP debut in 2020, up until Acosta moved over from Tech3 to partner him last year. While Acosta sealed fifth place in the 2025 standings with 307 points and five Grand Prix podiums, Binder only ranked 11th.
Not since his rookie season had Binder ranked so lowly, and he even failed to secure a single Grand Prix podium in a season for the first time as a MotoGP rider in 2025. But Acosta feels Binder has kicked off 2026 with a lot more confidence after what he saw throughout testing.
Finish the sentence: In 2027, Brad Binder will be racing for …
Pedro Acosta feels Brad Binder has regained the ‘confidence’ he lost in 2025
Binder believes he has found a “significantly” better feeling on KTM’s 2026 bike after testing, which he hopes will translate into race pace. The 30-year-old’s fastest time over the Buriram test (1:29.392) was 0.371s worse than Acosta’s and his average race pace was 1.074s worse.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Brad Binder from career stats to wife
Acosta paid very close attention to what Binder showed on the KTM RC16 during pre-season testing this term. Yet while the Spaniard has noticed a difference in the South African rider’s demeanour in the garage, comparing their data proved difficult after using different set-ups.
“Ultimately, I’m going my own way, but I’m currently comparing myself a lot with Brad,” said Acosta, via quotes by SPEEDWEEK. “It looks like he has regained more confidence. He lost some of that last year.
“I’ve looked at his data, but we tried very different things during testing. So, it’s difficult to draw a comparison, for example, regarding tyre management.”
Pedro Acosta feels KTM no longer ‘destroy’ their tyres within three laps
Predict the order of the KTM riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Acosta had the sixth-fastest average lap time during the race simulations at the Buriram test last weekend, having averaged 1:30.516. Binder’s average lap time from his race simulation of 1:31.590 was only the 17th-fastest effort, and also slower than Acosta’s second-best time.
The test in Buriram also convinced Acosta that KTM have improved their tyre management, even if comparing his data with Binder’s proved tough due to their different set-ups. Acosta felt he “destroyed” his tyres in three laps last year but can now maintain a good pace for 15.
Acosta added: “The turn-in is better, the bike is a bit more stable, and the tyres aren’t under as much stress. Before, the tyres were destroyed after just three laps. Now, we can ride 15 laps at a good pace.”
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