Pedro Acosta is pleased with KTM's progress: "We should be happy, the team is working extremely well."

With two podium finishes, including a Sprint victory in the first race of the season, Pedro Acosta is starting his 2026 MotoGP season on a much more positive note than last year.

Published 01/03/2026 à 11:21

Zoé Ledent-Mouret

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Pedro Acosta is pleased with KTM's progress: "We should be happy, the team is working extremely well."

© Michelin Motorsport

After this solid first round to open the exercise MotoGP Pedro Acosta displayed a very confident air when reflecting on his weekend in Thailand. The Spanish rider, who won the sprint race following a controversial penalty for Marc Márquez, finished second this time, more than five seconds behind leader Marco Bezzecchi. He nevertheless emphasized the progress made compared to last year on this same track.

“We should be happy, the team is working incredibly well. If you remember how much we suffered here last year, I was fighting just to get points, this year we finish with two podiums.” A stark contrast for the KTM rider, who had experienced a particularly difficult weekend twelve months earlier, where he crashed. Beyond the raw result, Pedro Acosta continued his remarks in a more neutral tone, focusing on the team dynamic, which seemed to satisfy the young rider the most. "I am very happy, thank you to KTM, and all the teams in Mattighofen who supported us without a doubt, even though it's morning there!" A clear nod to the manufacturer's Austrian headquarters.

Pedro Acosta has also not forgotten the more difficult months his camp went through. "Thanks also to everyone who supports me because we really didn't have a dream start to the 2025 season, but we persevered and now here are the fruits of our labor." A reference to a somewhat lackluster start to last year, marked by difficulties adapting, a lack of consistency, and KTM's financial woes. This first 2026 race thus validates the work done during the off-season. Consistent, incisive in attack phases, and more solid in race management, Acosta launches his championship on a much more ambitious footing than last year, leading the standings. This puts the Spanish rider firmly in contention for the MotoGP title right from the first race. It remains to be seen whether the RC16 will allow him to maintain this level of performance throughout the entire season.

ALSO READ > Bezzecchi was keen to "bounce back" at the Thailand GP

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