Acosta ready for the challenge: message for Marc Marquez

Pedro Acosta and KTM had a very positive start to the 2026 MotoGP season in Thailand. The Spaniard celebrated his first victory in the premier class in the Sprint, although this triumph does not count towards his Grand Prix win statistics. In Sunday’s race he secured second place behind Marco Bezzechi’s Aprilia.

For the first time he is leading the World Championship, and it’s also a first for KTM. A dream that could continue through the next MotoGP Grand Prix in Brazil, and perhaps beyond. The Austrian prototype has certainly taken a step forward compared to 2025, and the Spanish rider has matured both athletically and in character. "Yes, it’s fantastic to start the season this way," admits Pedro Acosta. "I remember that last year we even struggled to get into the top 10... KTM is really doing a great job."

Until last MotoGP season the RC16 suffered from tire wear over race distance. Now the engineers seem to have found solutions, in addition to improving cornering. "It looks like we’ve improved tire life," Acosta confirms. "We’ll see how it goes on other tracks in Europe and even in Brazil, but somehow we’re managing the situation better. The crew in the box is also working better."

Aprilia and Ducati remain the brands to beat, but Pedro Acosta wants to be among the protagonists of this MotoGP championship. The next step will be to improve in qualifying. At Buriram, he qualified sixth, four tenths of a second off pole-sitter Bezzecchi. Had he started from the front row, he could have battled with Bez for the win. "We’re not as bad as last year, but we still have a long way to go."

KTM still struggles on the straight. Acosta’s best top speed of the weekend was 341.7 km/h in qualifying. Bezzecchi’s and Jorge Martin’s Aprilias hit 345.0 km/h in qualifying, and the fastest Ducati of Francesco Bagnaia also reached this speed. "We know that this year our top speed is not great compared to Ducati and Aprilia. I struggled in the first two sectors of the track," said Acosta, referring to the two long straights. However, thanks to better steering ability, he was very fast in the twistier part of the track.

Another commendation goes to the Shark of Mazarron, who so far hasn’t had any crashes, neither during preseason nor on the Thailand weekend. "Last year, especially at the start of the season, I wasn’t nervous, but every time the situation wasn’t under control, I always made mistakes, I crashed, I pushed too hard, or things like that." In his third MotoGP season, something has changed on a character and psychological level. "Now maybe I’m in relax mode, let’s say, and even in difficult moments I use my head more. Maybe that’s the biggest difference."

Pedro Acosta put on a show at Buriram, especially in the Sprint, going head-to-head with Marc Marquez, his next teammate. No official announcement has yet come from Ducati, as they wait for Pecco Bagnaia to make the first move in the market. Many are already relishing the all-Spanish duel in the Red garage, with its pros and cons. In Borgo Panigale they’ll have to go the extra mile to maintain balance between two thoroughbreds.

In the meantime, ‘El Tiburon’ has sent a clear message to Marquez: no intention of backing down or playing the “second” rider. "The first one, I won it, period. Forget the stories. Period, I won. Anyone who says otherwise has never watched motorcycles. In the end, the one who overtook first was me... It didn’t take a day like Marc said..."