Pedro Acosta, the young rising star of MotoGP, does not hide his ambitions. After a mixed start to the 2025 season, he does not hesitate to make his voice heard against KTM. Between frustrations and hopes, the Spanish rider analyses his situation with clarity and determination, ready to fight for more than just simple podiums.
A season of two speeds
Pedro Acosta knows how to put pressure on KTM when he deems it necessary. After a start to the 2025 season below his expectations, he publicly MotoGP/news/acosta-hausse-ton-ktm-accepte-pas/10726941/”>declared that he “did not accept” the situation in which the manufacturer found itself, and initiated discussions with VR46. Although the tension seemed to ease, Acosta managed to refocus his efforts, leading to a more encouraging second half of the season… but not yet fully satisfactory.
A harsh assessment
Asked to rate his season out of 10, the Spaniard was ruthless. “5: we have progressed but we are fighting for nothing,” he lamented, not satisfied with his fourth place in the championship : “When I signed for KTM, I clearly said I wanted to fight for the championship and why are we fighting? For nothing.” This statement resonates like a cry from the heart, revealing his ardent desire for excellence.
A progression to confirm
Too often on the ground in the past, Acosta has learned to become more resilient and believes that all he now lacks is the bike to shine : “I have learned a lot, I think I am much better at riding, at consistency. I know what my place is but now I want more.” This quest for performance is palpable, and he knows that every detail counts in this ruthless sport.
The race for improvements
“I think I give everything on my side, I don’t fall much, I don’t waste time. It’s quite difficult to manage everything because you can’t have a perfect race, and even by having a perfect race our limit is the podium, and not even every day. We need to remedy that.” Acosta knows the road is still long, but he is ready to take on the challenge.
Pedro Acosta
A tighter championship
After finishing second in the constructors’ championship in 2023 and 2024, KTM has seen its efforts hindered by Aprilia’s rise in 2025. “We have lacked a lot to be as competitive as Aprilia, which has progressed, and Ducati, which remain the main manufacturers this year,” Acosta pointed out, aware of the threats facing his team: “We don’t really know what progress will be possible, but what is certain is that we are not good enough.”
Formidable competition
“Currently, Ducati is not the only problem : Aprilia is also very strong, it seems that Honda is coming back, KTM has progressed since the summer. The championship is tighter among the manufacturers. Now, there is not just one problem, there are four.” This analysis demonstrates a keen awareness of the competition surrounding him. MotoGP is becoming a true battleground where every detail counts.
Qualifying, a weak point to correct
While displaying his ambition, Pedro Acosta is capable of seeing his weaknesses, particularly during qualifying. Although he has the distinction of never having been beaten by a teammate in this exercise, whether it was Augusto Fernández in 2024 and then Brad Binder in 2025, he believes he still needs to improve on a lap.
“Having a 20-0 against your teammate doesn’t mean you’re doing good qualifying. These are different things. Since the summer break, I have often been on the second row. There is still something missing, you know it’s not my strong point but if I want to fight for the championship one day, I will need that extra thing. Now, I want to improve the settings, my mindset or my training. But I need to progress in qualifying.”
Pedro Acosta
A new mindset for 2026
And despite a clearly visible ambition, Acosta wants to approach the year 2026 “without any expectations,” aware that unrealistic hopes can backfire on him : “I was really surprised by the bad start to the season we had, and I don’t want to come back again with that mentality and those feelings. I just want to wait for Sepang, get on the bike, see what the problems are and then work on them. Humans are the only ones who fall twice on the same stone, so I hope that won’t be my case !”
“I think this is the stage of my life where I am gaining the most experience because I am trying a lot of things, I am trying everything possible and I am trying to retain the best,” Acosta summarised. “I think I am becoming a better person.”
