Pedro Acosta Leaves KTM: No More Time to Wait

Pedro Acosta has made clear that his decision to leave KTM for Ducati in MotoGP 2027 was driven by the need to secure machinery capable of challenging for the world championship.

Acosta has been part of KTM’s structure since the end of 2020, shortly after winning the Red Bull Rookies Cup. The Austrian manufacturer supported his rapid progression through Moto3 and Moto2 before his MotoGP debut with Tech3 in 2024.

The Spaniard later stepped up to the factory KTM team and finished fourth in the championship last season. However, he accepted an offer to join Ducati alongside Marc Marquez when MotoGP’s new 850cc regulations begin in 2027.

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“I already said when I signed my factory contract that the only thing I wanted was a bike to win the championship. It is clear that this bike has not arrived yet,” Acosta said.

“To be honest, I have no more time to lose. I got a lot of experience in KTM, but I also felt that Ducati was the challenge I needed for my career,” he added.

The RC16 has improved since Acosta entered MotoGP, including significant progress in tyre degradation. However, it continues to trail the Ducati GP26 and Aprilia RS-GP in both one-lap performance and race pace.

Acosta has established himself as one of the most consistent riders on the grid but has yet to secure a Grand Prix victory. KTM itself has not won a Sunday MotoGP race since Miguel Oliveira’s wet-weather success at the 2022 Thai Grand Prix.

Ducati, by contrast, has secured the riders’ championship in each of the last four seasons, despite facing a stronger challenge from Aprilia in 2026. That competitive difference provides important context for Acosta’s decision to change manufacturers.

KTM Motorsport chief Pit Beirer admitted the team did not expect Acosta to leave a project that had been built around him as its central rider. KTM had not prepared a replacement plan when the decision was made.

“We had to swallow that Pedro wants to leave us because he has been with us for so long. We went through so many things together, and we were building the project with him as a rider,” Beirer said.

KTM subsequently signed Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio to form an entirely new line-up for 2027. Acosta believes both riders give the manufacturer strong options to continue developing its MotoGP project after his departure.

Acosta’s move to Ducati will place him alongside Marc Marquez at the beginning of MotoGP’s next technical era. The opportunity will provide the next test of his ambition to convert consistency into victories and a world championship challenge.