Dani Pedrosa Says KTM Must Capitalise on Pedro Acosta’s Key Strengths

Dani Pedrosa believes KTM must fully capitalise on the mental strength and determination of Pedro Acosta as the young Spaniard enters his third MotoGP season with the Austrian manufacturer in 2026.

Acosta has spent his entire grand prix career within the KTM structure. He stepped up to Moto3 with the brand in 2021 and immediately claimed the world championship, before continuing his rapid rise by securing the Moto2 title in 2023 with Red Bull KTM Ajo.

His move to MotoGP followed in 2024 aboard the Tech3-run GASGAS machine. After a promising rookie campaign, Acosta now enters his third premier-class season as a full factory KTM rider, still in pursuit of his maiden MotoGP victory.

Despite Acosta’s strong performances, KTM was unable to make sufficiently large development steps in 2025 to consistently provide him with a race-winning package. While flashes of podium-contending speed were evident, overall progress stalled compared to rivals.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Pedrosa underlined that Acosta’s personal qualities remain one of KTM’s biggest assets.

“Pedro is very strong mentally, he has clear goals, and he is young, with great determination at this stage of his career,” Pedrosa said.
“At KTM, we need to capitalise on all of this.”

Pedrosa acknowledged that the 2025 campaign presented challenges beyond pure performance, but suggested the outlook has improved heading into 2026.

“2025 was a somewhat complicated season for us, also due to the team’s financial situation,” he explained.
“But things are looking up now.”

“We hope to make a step forward in 2026 and use Pedro’s speed and energy to consistently fight for podiums and some wins.”

In the constructors’ standings last season, KTM was overtaken by Aprilia Racing, which claimed four grand prix victories and emerged as a more consistent challenger to Ducati. However, Pedrosa believes KTM’s overall level has still risen.

That progress, he cautioned, brings new challenges in development efficiency.

“We’ve definitely reached a higher level, and that makes development more complicated,” Pedrosa said.
“We need to work even more efficiently.”

According to Pedrosa, two specific areas must become priorities for KTM in 2026: tyre management and qualifying performance.

“Aprilia and Ducati are very competitive today,” he noted.
“So we need to focus especially on improving tyre management and qualifying.”

He stressed that grid position has become increasingly decisive in modern MotoGP.

“Starting from the first or second row has become crucial in today’s MotoGP,” Pedrosa added.

Beyond on-track performance, Acosta’s long-term future is expected to become one of the major talking points of the 2027 rider market. Multiple reports have linked the Spaniard with a potential move away from KTM, including speculation about a future deal with Ducati.

For now, however, KTM’s priority remains clear: maximising Acosta’s strengths in 2026, before MotoGP enters a new technical era with the introduction of 850cc machinery in 2027.

The upcoming season will represent a defining moment, both for KTM’s long-term project and for Acosta’s trajectory as a potential future MotoGP title contender.