Pedro Acosta transformed a difficult start to the 2025 MotoGP season into a strong second-half campaign, collecting 12 podium finishes and establishing himself as one of KTM’s leading title contenders.
Although a first MotoGP victory still eludes the former Moto3 and Moto2 world champion, six of his podiums came as runner-up results, underlining his growing consistency and competitiveness with the factory KTM squad.
Factory KTM crew chief Paul Trevathan highlighted several standout performances from Acosta’s season. One that particularly impressed the team came in Sepang, where Acosta showed strong tyre management, answering critics who previously questioned his ability to conserve rubber over race distance. Trevathan also pointed to Acosta’s Sprint race in Portimao as his most complete performance, where he was able to fight aggressively from start to finish.
At Portimao, Acosta crossed the line just 0.120 seconds from victory after a race-long battle with Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi. While the Sprint raised hopes of a breakthrough grand prix win, stronger race pace from Bezzecchi and Aprilia on Sunday meant Acosta had to settle for third.
According to Trevathan, the desire to fight at the front is what defines Acosta. He explained that while winning a world championship is never guaranteed, Acosta can accept defeat if he knows he was able to compete fully. What frustrates him most is being unable to fight for positions or results. Another strong example of Acosta’s progress was his second-place finish at Balaton, which Trevathan described as another important step forward.
Despite expectations that Acosta would already have a MotoGP win after two seasons, Trevathan believes the Spaniard is now genuinely ready to take that next step. He pointed to Acosta’s improved approach to race weekends, stressing that success in modern MotoGP starts from the very first practice session on Friday.
Trevathan noted that Acosta now understands how to prepare more effectively for each event, bringing structure and consistency across an entire weekend rather than relying purely on raw talent. While the lack of a win remains frustrating, he believes Acosta has grown significantly in his understanding of the sport.
A major area of improvement has been qualifying. Early in the season, Acosta often struggled to put his best sectors together in a single lap, resulting in several races starting outside the top 10. By the final six rounds, however, he consistently qualified on the first two rows of the grid.
Trevathan explained that this step forward came from a shift in mindset. Instead of relying on instinct alone, Acosta has learned to take calculated risks, identifying strengths and weaknesses at each circuit and building a clear plan for his time-attack laps. This approach has helped him feel more in control and extract maximum performance from race tyres, which MotoGP riders must also use for qualifying.
With bikes now operating at the very edge of performance, Trevathan stressed that every detail matters, making qualifying one of the most critical aspects of the modern sport.
Acosta’s late-season surge ultimately secured him fourth place in the world championship standings. KTM will unveil its 2026 MotoGP livery next Tuesday, January 27, ahead of the official Sepang test in early February, where Acosta and his fellow RC16 riders will begin preparations for the new season.
