KTM Aims for Resurgence at Austrian MotoGP: Acosta Highlights ‘Match Point’ for Confidence Recovery

At the Austrian MotoGP, KTM, which has seen a dip in performance in the latest races, looks forward to its home event where it has historically performed well.

The Austrian Grand Prix is a significant event in the MotoGP schedule for KTM, having secured two victories at the Red Bull Ring, making it equally important for its racers.

The KTM RC16 dedicated a significant portion of its initial development phase to completing circuits at the Red Bull Ring, a track that Tech3 GasGas competitor Pedro Acosta believes matches the bike's strengths and comes at a crucial time in KTM's racing calendar.

Acosta mentioned, "The origin of our bike is not far from here, in Mattighofen. The reasons are unclear, yet it consistently excels on this track. It's particularly advantageous for the four riders representing Pierer Mobility Group, as this could serve as a pivotal moment for them to regain their confidence and achieve favorable outcomes in the upcoming races."

Acosta is confident that KTM's prospects are about to improve.

"He mentioned that a mix of elements in the recent races likely hindered their competitiveness."

"However, I believe that adding Austria, Aragon, Misano, and the international races into the mix will aid in boosting our competitiveness."

Acosta believes that KTM's upcoming performance enhancements can also be credited to the efforts of the test team, alongside more advantageous circuits. This includes contributions from Pol Espargaro, who is participating as a wildcard at the Red Bull Ring this weekend.

"Additionally, the operation of the factory," he mentioned, "along with Pol [Espargaro] being present to ride, and the extent to which we've taken into account Dani [Pedrosa] and Pol's feedback in recent months, we're definitely poised to advance significantly."

Despite being just months away from transitioning from the Tech3 team to the factory KTM team, Acosta maintains that he is unaware of the developments or tests Espargaro is undertaking this weekend.

"Truthfully, I'm not well-informed," he admitted. "All I'm aware of is that FP1 is happening tomorrow and we have to make it through to Q2 during PR. That's about it, really. Future issues will arise eventually, but for now, let's concentrate on the current challenges."

During the summer hiatus, Acosta took to the Red Bull Ring for a trial run ahead of the British Grand Prix, where he was seen maneuvering a Kalex Moto2 motorcycle equipped with WP suspension. Though regarded merely as a practice session, Acosta's feedback echoed the sentiments of CFMoto Aspar Moto2 competitor Jake Dixon, who, following his win at the British Grand Prix, remarked that no innovations for the Austrian suspension manufacturer were evaluated during the test.

"Acosta stated, "We weren't actually creating anything." He explained that the test focused on his ambition to log laps on what he referred to as "a genuine bike on a legitimate MotoGP circuit"."

"He emphasized his desire for clarity in laps," he explained. "Ultimately, opportunities to execute precise laps with an appropriate bike on a genuine MotoGP circuit are rare throughout a season. While it's relatively simple to navigate tracks in Spain such as Valencia, Jerez, and Aragon, accessing a circuit of this caliber presents a significant challenge."

Acosta mentioned that sharing the track with Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espargaro allowed him to gain insights into the operation of the KTM MotoGP motorcycle in Austria. This experience provided him with a minor advantage this weekend, particularly as a newcomer, in contrast to his performance at other tracks.

"Acosta mentioned, "I was simply going around the track, getting a sense of things." He added that this happened concurrently with Pol [Espargaro] and Dani [Pedrosa] conducting their tests on the [KTM MotoGP] motorcycle. Acosta observed that he could keep up with them briefly when they overtook him, allowing him to watch their riding styles, the trajectories they took, and their overall approach.

"Perhaps, this could make things somewhat smoother going into the weekend, since I'm beginning with slightly more track time under my belt."

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