Pedro Acosta did not have a memorable weekend at the Brno circuit, and he seems to have had enough. The reliability of KTM factory and satellite bikes this season has been a big question mark, and the rider did not hold back on his assessment. 

Speaking to motogp.com after the Czech MotoGP, Acosta says he is seeking answers from the OEM now, given that retiring due to technical problems is turning into a pattern, which no one would like. 

“I'm not even disappointed. I didn't do anything wrong. For this, it’s not in my hands; I cannot check. It is what it is, now it's time for KTM to give some answers and try to analyse why we are having these reliability problems, because there have already been many.

"KTM now should send everything to the factory, try to understand what is going on and give some answers because it’s already many times that happened, not exactly this thing, but some problems around,” he said, as reported by motorsport.com. 

The 22-year-old Factory KTM rider has been facing technical and reliability issues this season, especially since the Catalan GP, in which his bike unexpectedly slowed down during Lap 12, which triggered Alex Marquez’s crash.

Acosta led again after the restarts, but gradually fell down and eventually crashed as Ai Ogura bumped into him, forcing him out of the race.

The Tech3 KTM of Enea Bastianini was also hit by reliability problems in the Catalan GP, while at Mugello, Brad Binder had no choice but to park his bike up at the main straight, also facing technical issues. 

And then we have Acosta once again at Brno, who faced issues during the Sprint race and in the feature race that saw him out of contention on the final lap.

Besides reliability, KTM also seems to have another issue at hand. Something it is infamous for. 

Maverick Vinales: “You need to trust someone, for good or for bad”

The Austrian firm has had a rocky history when it comes to parting ways with riders. Now, Maverick Vinales has accused the team of leaving his future hanging in the balance, as many riders and teams have already had negotiations for the 2027 season. 

According to reports, there is a clause in his current contract that prevents him from negotiating with other teams until a certain date, which is furthermore a reason for him to worry, as he argues he may be without a MotoGP seat next season if things don’t move fast enough. He voiced his frustrations while speaking to The Race.

"You need to trust someone, for good or for bad, you know? But it's July, and still I don't know anything of my future. So I think it's quite late, also, from KTM."

The team has now responded as to why there have been delays regarding his contract discussions. Pit Beirer, KTM’s motorsport chief, said that he understands Vinales’ frustrations, but he also reiterated that the team is looking for the best possible balance before taking any final steps. 

However, what’s more concerning is that Guenther Steiner, the new Tech3 CEO, also spoke to The Race. His comments hint at a lack of satisfactory performance, without directly criticizing Vinales. He acknowledges the talent that the rider possesses, but feels that the team needs visible results before committing to future contracts. 

Do you feel Vinales’ spot is actually in danger? 

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Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason