Pedro Acosta warns KTM to learn key lesson to avoid “crazy” Sepang MotoGP test

Pedro Acosta believes KTM “tried too many things” with its MotoGP bike at stages in 2024 and has pointed to a lesson it should heed from Moto2 for its 2025 Sepang test plan.

Acosta will begin preparations for his sophomore campaign in the premier class this week at the Sepang pre-season test with the factory KTM squad.

Due to the company’s financial issues, it has been an uncertain winter for the brand. However, motorsport boss Pit Beirer recently confirmed that its development plans for the new season have not been affected.

Pedro Acosta offers advice to KTM

Acosta says “there are many things to try” over the next three days on the RC16, but has warned that the brand doesn’t need to “get a little bit crazy” trying too many things.

He feels this was something that hindered last year, while noting that a few years ago in Moto2 KTM fell into the same trap and found itself being more competitive once it stopped development.

“Well, see how myself is without riding a MotoGP bike for three months,” he said when asked by Crash.net what he was expecting from the Sepang test.

“I feel quite ok but it’s true that there are many things to try, [but] don’t get a little bit crazy and put the feet on the ground and understand when to say no and when to say yes to things.

“Last year we were sometimes trying many things, even during the race weekends, and maybe we lost the way a bit.

“If you remember when KTM was in Moto2, at the moment they stopped development was the moment that Brad [Binder] and [Jorge] Martin made a step.

“We need to keep our feet on the ground and take the test quite chill and see where we can arrive.”

While Acosta is keen to understand where KTM’s rival manufacturers were able to be better than it last year, he also says he has focused over the winter on changing his riding style because “maybe I was too aggressive” at the end of the season.

“We have to see where the other brands are making the difference with us,” he added.

“I don’t know exactly where, but at the end they are using the rear tyre in a different way than us and it’s exactly there where they are making the difference.

“Also this winter I tried to change a bit my riding style, maybe don’t be super focused on the front, brake hard and make V lines, just trying to flow a little bit more, trying to be smoother in everything because maybe at the end of the season I was maybe too aggressive.”

Quotes provided by Crash MotoGP Editor Peter McLaren