Acosta–Ducati: KTM speak out: "Our offer is excellent, but we might lose him

Acosta reportedly heading to Ducati: Beirer of KTM and Valera, also the manager of Martin—who is instead linked with Yamaha—have responded.

In recent days, several sensational rumors have surfaced about the MotoGP rider market. It started with Fabio Quartararo allegedly having a deal with Honda, Yamaha making a push for Jorge Martin to replace him, and Pedro Acosta pledged to Ducati. Three bombshells dropped by authoritative sources that follow the earlier rumor regarding Marc Marquez renewing with Ducati. There are no official announcements at the moment, but it’s not out of the question that some deals could be finalized soon.

The Marquez-Acosta pairing at Ducati would be explosive; we’ll see if it happens from 2027. In the meantime, in an interview with Pont Group (one of his sponsors), Pedro chose not to talk about his future: "Before thinking about 2027, there’s 2026, which I consider a very important year in my sporting career. I’m trying to use the experience of 2025 to focus on the results of 2026. 2027 will come when it has to come."

He preferred not to commit on his own future, but the KTM rider did so regarding some of his MotoGP colleagues: "I think Quartararo could be at Honda together with Jorge Martín. I see Viñales at KTM and I’d say Joan Mir at Yamaha. I see Álex Márquez and Bezzecchi at Aprilia, and Marc will stay at Ducati." These are his predictions for 2027.

Handling the negotiations for the future of Acosta and Martin is Albert Valera. The renowned Spanish manager responded as follows to Speedweek regarding the rumors that have recently emerged: "We are continuing to assess the best options for our riders. At the same time, we have advised them to focus exclusively on testing. Anything else would be a distraction. Working with their teams is our top priority."

It’s no surprise that Valera didn’t want to reveal anything at this time. Among other things, he and Martin were already caught up in controversy in 2025 for trying to terminate the Aprilia contract early: after so much criticism, it’s better to keep a lower profile now. Also, if nothing has been signed yet, it’s not the time to go public. Better to do so when there are signatures and official announcements.

As for KTM, it has already emerged that in 2027 Maverick Viñales could be promoted to the factory team. They also like Alex Marquez a lot. The Austrian manufacturer has always stated that it wants to convince Acosta to sign a new contract, but it’s also aware there’s a strong chance of losing him.

Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport Director, spoke to Speedweek about the possible departure of the two-time world champion: "The dynamic that has been created now doesn’t mean that for 2027 we’ll find ourselves without top riders and without Pedro Acosta. Our relationship with Pedro is exceptional and we certainly won’t let him go that easily. KTM has strong arguments—and Pedro knows that we do everything to provide our riders with equipment capable of winning. He has received a very good offer from us in every respect."

Despite the rumors linking Acosta to Ducati, KTM has not given up yet, while knowing they must also prepare for the possible departure of the Spaniard: "We are realistic," explains Beirer, "and it’s normal that riders like Pedro also look at what’s happening around them. He will negotiate andwe might even lose him, but at the moment there’s no decision. And there won’t be one until Pedro has a clear picture of our bike for 2026." The KTM top manager is convinced that final decisions will be made later; we’ll see whether that’s the case or if some riders sign before the start of the new MotoGP season.