Pedro Acosta Benefited as Maverick Vinales Helped 'Open the Eyes' at KTM in MotoGP 2025

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Pedro Acosta's crew chief Paul Trevathan credits Maverick Vinales and his chief mechanic Manu Cazeaux for guiding KTM through a challenging start to the 2025 MotoGP season. Vinales, joining Red Bull KTM Tech3, brought valuable experience to steer the RC16 in the right direction.

KTM faced setbacks over the winter and a frustrating Thailand opener. Vinales and Cazeaux were first to pinpoint solutions, notably in Argentina warm-up. Vinales focused on rear weight distribution for better control of slides, enabling improved corner entry and acceleration.

Beyond setup, Vinales demonstrated a smoother riding style effective on the RC16, contrasting the aggressive approach of Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder. This opened new avenues for the team.

"It's fantastic to have good team-mates. It helps the development of the rider. It helps the development of the bike. And it opens the eyes," Trevathan said. "Maverick's natural style is quite opposite to Pedro's. So it was just another way of getting the same lap time. And it opened up [new ideas] for sure."

Trevathan noted Pedro Acosta embraced the ideas without ego, eager to test and understand. Cazeaux's work tailoring the bike to Vinales was key, though not fully transferable.

Vinales led Qatar before a tyre pressure penalty cost the podium. A shoulder injury later hampered his season. Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta recovered strongly, securing 12 podiums in the latter half to finish fourth overall.

Vinales' input strengthened KTM's development, broadening RC16 understanding and laying groundwork for future success.