Pedro Acosta is the fastest KTM rider and the benchmark for the Austrian marque. His first MotoGP victory at the brand’s home race in Spielberg was the high point so far.
In the 2026 season, the Spaniard is the only KTM rider who can regularly mix it at the front, as at the season opener in Thailand, he won the sprint and finished second in the grand prix.
In Austin, Acosta finished third in the grand prix and in Barcelona he took second place in the sprint. In Hungary there were second places in both the sprint and the grand prix. In the grands prix at Aragon and Misano, he stood on the podium in second and third.
The best results of his team-mate Brad Binder was fourth in the sprint at Jerez and sixth most recently in the grand prix at Spielberg. Enea Bastianini managed third place in the sprint at Austin.
Two sixth places were the best grand prix results for the Tech3 rider. Acosta’s performance far outshines his two fellow marque riders who have contested all the races.
“Pedro has traditionally had quite a special riding style,” KTM technical director Sebastian Risse told Motorsport.com’s sister title Motorsport-Total.com. “On the one hand, he brakes hard and late, without losing rear-wheel contact [with the ground].
“On the other hand, it is precisely that early turn-in, which classically is not actually the right racing line. But he manages to bend the bike around the corner that way. That allows him to attack easily and makes him hard to attack.
“Even so, he does not lose at the next corner exit what you would expect if someone else tried it like that. But you can also see that his riding style has recently become significantly smoother and more controlled.
“That also means he controls himself in that area and uses it when it is enough to give him an advantage, but it is no longer so much a limitation that he cannot do it any other way.”
Acosta has further developed his riding style
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
The engineers can also see from the data that Acosta’s riding style has developed since his MotoGP debut in 2024. “Definitely, absolutely,” Risse confirmed.
Acosta himself also recognises this progress. “I would say yes. It is true that my lines are still a bit tighter than the others’, but not as extreme as they once were,” he said.
“And if you look at my body position, I also think I am riding much more smoothly than before. Even so, sometimes the old Pedro still comes through and ruins everything.
“But in 90 percent of situations this season I have really tried to stay much calmer than in the past. And so far it seems to be paying off.”
Acosta’s style is difficult for the other riders to copy
The other KTM riders are, of course, trying to take their cue from Acosta’s style and copy it, because that is currently the way to be fast and competitive with the RC16.
“The other riders see that,” said Risse. “In some cases they then also had the feeling: ‘Hey, this is now the only way to be fast on the bike. But it does not work for me. I cannot do that.'”
Binder in particular is working on changing his riding style. The focus on race weekends is mainly on making him faster with the motorcycle as a rider.
“We see in many sectors, in many individual corners, that the performance is partly on a par with Pedro,” Risse said of Binder. “But we are not managing to put it together for him in such a way that it produces a lap time.”
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
“And that naturally makes everything much, much more difficult if you do not have that qualifying position, because then you cannot show it. Maybe on the lap time sheet, but that does not buy you anything.”
Why Binder is no longer at the front
Binder’s last top result dates back to the 2024 season opener. Back then, he finished second in both races in Qatar. It was Acosta’s first MotoGP weekend. In 2023, Binder had still been the benchmark at KTM, having won two sprints, took five podiums in grands prix and ended the season fourth in the world championship.
But since Qatar 2024, there has not been much to see of ‘Brad Attack’. “He has a very special riding style,” Risse said, “which fitted very, very well back then. But the championship is, unfortunately and fortunately, continuing to develop.
“In the area of tyres, in the area of riding style, in the area of the bikes. And that is a very, very painful process when you then realise: ‘Hey, with the riding style I have had up to now, I am not going to get any further, I have to reinvent myself.’
“But I must not try to copy wildly; instead I have to find new strengths. I think that is a completely different challenge. That is something we are struggling with together. I would not say he is struggling; we are all in this together and that is a process in which many riders have unfortunately already stumbled or failed.
“We will not give up on finding new ways with him, right to the end. But it is clear: he knows how he would have to ride to be faster. But that is not the riding style in which he feels comfortable and can play to his strengths. And that is why he does not look as strong at the moment.”
The Spielberg weekend was a step in the right direction. After seven MotoGP years, KTM has nevertheless not extended Binder’s contract.
The South African is switching to the Superbike World Championship with the BMW team for 2027 and since Acosta is moving to Ducati in MotoGP, KTM will line up next year with the rider pairing of Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: motorsport.com
