Pedro Acosta plays down the rumors: focus on the Sepang test, 2027 can wait

Acosta focused on the three days of work in Malaysia, doesn’t want to commit yet to what he’ll do in 2027.

The MotoGP rider market rumors haven’t spared Pedro Acosta in recent days either. The two-time world champion seems to be the favorite to join Marc Marquez in the Ducati factory team, but for now there’s no official announcement. We have to wait, as with other rumors concerning the future of other big names in the top class. Over the next three days everyone will be called to focus mainly on the track, since the first pre-season test of 2026 will take place at the Sepang International Circuit.

In Malaysia he was asked about his expectations for the test, and the Red Bull KTM Factory rider said to the microphones of Motosan: "None, to be honest. I just want to get on the bike, try to waste as little time as possible in the box, make as few mistakes as possible, and then see how things go from there. Pol Espargaró’s shakedown looked pretty good, he was very fast. I don’t want to get my hopes up and just see what I find on the bike, which ultimately is the most important thing."

The KTC RC16’s problems were very clear in 2025 and Acosta was straightforward in pointing out the areas where it was essential to intervene for 2026. One of these is rear tire wear: "Maybe that’s where we worked the most - the Spaniard confirms - because it was our weak point. The tire issue was a serious problem; there were days when we couldn’t even finish the Sprint Race in decent condition."

Improving in terms of consumption and also rear grip is always important. Acosta highlights that the Mattighofen manufacturer has also worked on other fronts: "They worked on the chassis to try to improve turning, because we were wearing the front tire a bit. I think they’ve improved the speed in the box quite a lot, because we were losing a lot of time there as well. I believe they’ve made some very promising steps forward, but now it’s time to do long runs, see what happens with the tires, see where we are and, above all, be realistic compared to where we were last year."

Inevitably, there was an attempt to talk about his future as well, but the two-time world champion is not willing to delve into the topic: "I have no idea when anything about my future will be known. My goal is to be fast here and chart a clear path towards Thailand. Last year I finished fifth in testing here; it seemed like we weren’t doing too badly. I think I finished fourth in Thailand, and it seemed like we weren’t doing too badly, but then reality hit us hard in the race. I want to stay calm, I want to be very focused on the work and, above all, be realistic about what could be an excellent start to the year, or be prepared in case it isn’t. I think I’d like to be more realistic than I was at the beginning of last year."

Acosta is focused on the work; between Sepang and Buriram he wants to have productive tests, trying to extract the maximum from his KTM RC16. He knows that in 2027 he will certainly have a good seat; he is not worried about his future in MotoGP. We’ll see if this year will also bring his first victory in the category, a goal he’d like to achieve before a possible (and, we’d add, likely) brand change.