Pedro Acosta expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of the 2026 KTM MotoGP bike after finishing in seventh place at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Initially opting for the soft rear tyre from Michelin despite the majority of the grid sticking with the medium compound, Acosta’s strategy helped him climb from ninth to fourth place early in the race. However, he began to struggle halfway through the race, eventually finishing seventh. Acosta attributed his decision to switch to the soft compound due to the shorter race, which required him to push hard in the early laps. While tyre wear played a role in his performance, Acosta highlighted KTM’s lack of straight-line speed as a major concern, which hindered his ability to pass competitors. Despite a promising start to the season at Buriram, Acosta acknowledged the challenges ahead for KTM and emphasized the need to improve cornering performance and overall speed. This shift in perspective came after a disappointing showing at Goiania, prompting Acosta to reevaluate the position of the RC16 in the competitive MotoGP field.
KTM Review: Not Bad Last Year, Not Good This Year
