The Spanish driver born in 2004 explained the requests made to the Austrian manufacturer. On coach Morales: “Carmelo took the doubts out of my head, on a personal level he helped me more than on the track”
January 27, 2026
Pedro Acosta responded online to the many questions that journalists asked him on the sidelines of the presentation of the KTM MotoGP teams for 2026.
Acosta responded first in English and then into Spanish, a very long press conference, 24 minutes.
On the eve of the Sepang tests Acosta demonstrated a completely different approach compared to twelve months ago: low expectations, a mental predisposition also due to the work done with coach Carmelo Morales.
The 2024 rookie of the year explained that, in his opinion, KTM ha worked intensively during the winter on three specific requests from Acosta: tire management, working speed in the garage and above all consistency in the race.
“I saw one completely new motorbike, built from scratch,” he stressed.
On the pilots market for 2027 Acosta, approached by many to Ducati (including Rivola)maintained maximum diplomacy: “Those who are happy in the place where they are will stay and those who are not, well, they will move. 2026 will be a question mark for everyone”.
Answers in English
CHow did you spend the winter?
“The winter went quite well. I’m quite happy to see how much the KTM factory has worked, it’s interesting to see all the new things they showed us when we went to the factory in Mattighofen. This season I’m starting with a completely different mentality compared to last season, last year it wasn’t easy to accept the difficult moments, the negative moments. That’s why we try to maintain this mentality of low expectations as we were doing at the end of last year and let’s see what happens in the first test.”
You mentioned low expectations. Why do you think this will help you? Why do you leave with low expectations?
“Well, let’s say that at the beginning of last year maybe my expectations were too high and it wasn’t easy to accept the negative moments like I don’t know, like Thailand, Argentina, Austin, there it wasn’t at all easy to stop and reconnect with the world, you know. For this reason, maybe the key this year will be to be much calmer. Maybe even try to be much, much colder, in the sense of not doing things just for my feelings, and waiting to see what the problems are around and try to understand them”
On the strength of KTM and other manufacturers…
“Let’s see what happens in Malaysia. I know how much KTM has worked this winter and I have to say that I’m impressed, but we never know how much the competition has worked, even knowing that a new regulation will arrive in a year. This is why it’s quite difficult to know who will be the manufacturer to beat, but it’s true that I’m quite optimistic”
Obviously this time of year there are a lot of rumors about next year. Your name is constantly linked to many builders. What conversations are you having and how quickly do you want a contract for 2027 so you can focus on the year ahead?
“Well at the moment I have enough problems, I have to see what happens in Malaysia. I mean we’re in ’26, I want to achieve good results like we were doing at the end of ’25, I think today is not the day to talk about that (the market, ed.). I mean we’re in the KTM presentation today, so let’s try to focus on ’26 and then ’27 will be a matter for everyone”
About last year and the goal of a first GP victory…
“Well, first of all we try to maintain the consistency that I had at the end of last year because I think that was the thing that made me grow a lot. And it was also the moment when I started to be consistently in the top five, top four. The moment when I grew the most, because I remember that I started the second half of the season with the mentality that I wanted everyone to count on me in the races, you know. We had a good second half of the season. So I think with podium consistency is our goal this season. I think that the victory will come sooner or later. This is why I think we have to be consistent, try to improve the final result of 2025, which is fourth place”
Maverick will work together with Lorenzo. Have you ever thought about asking for advice and working together with a former rider or do you depend on the advice you get from your crew chief and Aki?
“Well, last season I started working with Carmelo Morales. It’s true that he hasn’t raced in the world championship, but I think his level of experience is super high, you know. And if you start checking it was the moment when I made my biggest mental step I would say, you know. That’s why this season I’ll continue like that. I think we were making a super team, he was with me all winter and I think we made good preparations.”
On the start of the 2025 season and KTM’s difficulties…
“Well, basically at the end of last year we went to Malaysia with some updates of my 2024 bike, but it wasn’t really anything new let’s say, until mid-season. This year I see a bigger step, maybe not two, but I see a completely new bike built from scratch. And that makes you super confident. It’s also true that the general situation in the factory is not the same as a year ago, you can also see it in people’s faces, they are calmer and more confident. This makes you breathe, let’s say”
Your shoulders look a little bigger than last year. What was your preparation over the winter, a little different than previous winters?
“Yes, just being a lot younger than my teammates, I normally struggle a lot in these physical tests that we normally do during the winter let’s say, to be honest I was suffering a lot at the end of last year with my left shoulder after my crash in 2024 at Phillip Island in a sprint race. I was quite focused on trying to overcome this injury because when it’s cold enough I really start to struggle you know, even jumping on the bike. So I was quite focused on the physical side, I spent a lot of time in the mountains trying to let’s improve my let’s say my cardio capacity. It’s true that I was training a lot on the motorbike, I was doing a lot of motocross to compensate for all the seasons after my femur injury”
We haven’t seen Márquez on a MotoGP bike since Indonesia last year. Do you think he’s the guy to beat?
“He doesn’t want it, but he’s the guy who should have the number one on his fairing, you know what I mean? That’s why you really have to see that Marc has overcome after five years without a victory and jumped straight onto the factory bike and went straight to fight for the championship. That’s why for sure, even with the injury, he will be the man to beat. It’s true that you also have to put Marco, Alex, Pecco in this range because I think they are the guys who have to fight for the championship but Marc will be the… to beat for everyone”
Answers in Spanish
Pyou spoke in English about consistency, change of mentality, how much it helped you last year, how much it led you to be fourth last year. Where can the ceiling be this year for you from that base?
“Well, let’s hope that the ceiling is very high, right? But you should never have too many expectations. I would like to get to Malaysia, get on the bike and from there see the problems I have or those I don’t have. As I also said, KTM has worked a lot especially on the three things I asked for which were important. So I believe that consistency is what will lead us to good results”
Is KTM in time to convince you for 2027?
“Well, in the end we know that 2025 has been more difficult for all KTM than we expected, right? But that’s what I tell you, I want to get on the bike, see what I find. I really tell you that they worked a lot in the winter, even more than I expected, because I think I was quite tough and quite clear with the things I wanted and the truth is that they worked a lot compared to how we arrived in pre-season last year. So we will have time to see it. I’m not in a hurry for anything”
On 2026 and the possibility that there will continually be questions about the market and the future…
“Well, I’m lucky to have very good people around me. I think that last year they were able to control me, especially on the mental side, very well, thanks to Carmelo (Morales, the coach, ed.). So I think that if one day this becomes a burden, I’ll rely a lot on my staff. I think they’re guiding me very well and I think I’ve had a very good winter, I haven’t asked any questions in my head. I think I’ve put in a lot of quality hours with very quality people, so I think I have a enough team so that they can handle this”
What is your impression of the collaboration between Maverick and Lorenzo? Some people were surprised, others bet that it would last very short and to others it seems like it’s working…
“Well, I don’t have any opinion because I haven’t seen it in person, so it’s very difficult to have an opinion seeing videos or just seeing pictures, right? So, well, in the end everyone comes to a moment where they make a personal bet, right? Mine was with Carmelo and Maverick’s was with Jorge. So I would be happy if it was a help for him. It will definitely make me grow too”
You said you categorically asked KTM for three things. What are they? And what does Carmelo give you personally?
“Well, I think I asked things that were very obvious, right? Because you saw many races in which we were competitive in the sprint, but after the sprint I knew that in the race we wouldn’t be competitive. And it was seen that we had a bike that was a bit irregular, above all we lacked a lot of consistency in the races, the tires dropped a lot. This was what I asked. The other two things were the issue of the tires and working a little faster in the garage. It all has to do with that first problem we have, that we are not capable of finishing a race with the tires in good condition. If we solve these problems we will be more competitive, because at least we will have the option to overtake on the straight and come out with more traction and we will arrive at the end of the race a little more alive. And for your second question, with Carmelo, well, I think it helped me a lot at a time when I had a lot of doubts, because I no longer knew why things weren’t working for me and on top of everything, every time I pushed harder I crashed more times not giving me expectations of how the weekend would go. I think he helped me a lot to put my feet on the ground, to not have expectations, to arrive and have fun at the weekend. I think he knew how to take my worries away from my head, where to take me somewhere on a Wednesday, so that I didn’t think about the weekend and the stress instead of 5 days like this was only three. So I think he helped me even more than on the track. I have the poster from when Carmelo was racing, here at home, signed by him a figure who, even if he hasn’t raced in MotoGP, is a figure I respect. I say ‘okay, if this is what you tell me, then I’ll go around what he tells me, I trust him.’
You were at the KTM factory this winter, did you talk to the KTM bosses? Did they give you a good explanation and were you able to meet anyone from the new ownership of Bajaj? What did they tell you?
“I was in Austria, but I didn’t talk much, in the end I want to concentrate on getting on the bike in Malaysia, see what has improved, see where we are. In the end I’m not looking for any explanation. So no, I know the people I’ve always known”
I would love an opinion as a MotoGP enthusiast who is in the market that is moving so fast. Do you think there will be many changes?
“Well, I think those who are happy where they are will stay and those who aren’t, well they will move. Ultimately with such a big question mark as we don’t know how 2026 will go. So it will be a question mark for everyone”
