KTM’s upcoming MotoGP season has been met with reactions from insiders and outside the paddock calling it nothing but a disaster. Although it may seem unpleasant, the term is now used by the team’s own cyclists. While talking about recent qualifying, Pedro Acosta clearly said, “It all went wrong.” That tells the whole story.
The fact that a manufacturer has been steadily moving forward in the MotoGP is strange, given the problems they had in 2025. Many people felt that KTM would perform well due to their fast progress and a good performance in the previous year. But unfortunately, at this point, Pedro Acosta is just ninth in the riders’ rankings and Brad Binder can be found among the backmarkers in 14th. Things didn’t turn out the way KTM imagined, nor have they put their money into this.
You can easily spot the frustration in their speech. Last season, Acosta earned two podiums each at Aragon on the KTM. However, he hasn’t performed at that level this time around. It seems that Looro’s focus is more on handling the motorbike than on fighting his rivals. As early as the first weekend, he realized that reaching Q2 at the very least was no longer possible because problems had started. “OK, getting 12th is not good, but I’m not your 14th, 17th or 19th right now,” he stated, hinting that he performs better than the team’s weak start to the weekend.
Even though Brad Binder is acting in a measured way, he clearly isn’t ignoring the problems. The South African was always relaxed and cool; he visited KTM’s headquarters in Mattighofen along with other factory riders. At the event, Apple showed the participants what the engineering team was busy with in the background. Binder’s takeaway? Everything seems to be moving in a positive direction in the future, but most focus is placed on the distant future.
Binder noted observing the estimated completion dates for different aspects in the pipeline and concluded that there will be no immediate changes despite the factory’s effort. That’s a challenging fact as the current season is not going as planned and the team’s future in the series after 2026 is yet to be settled.
Even more worrying is the possibility that KTM could be counting on future rule changes, hoping this season doesn’t matter much, alongside the possibility that the next four years aren’t going to offer thrilling competition. Playing a hunch like that can lead to problems. KTM cannot depend on the top teams struggling, because Ducati is leading, Aprilia is getting stronger and Honda and Yamaha are planning their own comebacks.
Many of the problems with the train are quite significant. He has talked about the problem of rear-end vibrations and slippery turns, saying these aspects make the bike nearly impossible to ride. Likewise, Binder mentioned the RC16’s poor cornering speed and inadequate turning performance. It won’t be easy to resolve these problems. They show that the original design of the bike has serious problems that can’t be corrected quickly.
The interesting thing is that KTM does have some skilled individuals and plenty of energy. The team members are very busy during their office hours. Riders and engineers are always in touch with each other. People in the camp are very worried, though most of those worries are being overshadowed by their recent poor results. Between their hopes and what happens on the track, a huge gap exists and it is currently taking away their results and possibly their reputation among the toughest MotoGP riders.
Acosta’s aim is straightforward, he wishes to improve, fight each weekend at his best and battle for the top positions in the championship. He is aware that making changes is often more complicated than it seems. Last year’s achievements have not made him complacent or stopped him from improving his vision. “I thought we’d check out how our weekend starts, since I know even a minor mistake now could affect the results,” he added, aware of how important the opening practice is.
Binder, just like the governor, wants to continue making positive changes. If KTM addresses the turning problems and manages to boost corner speed, the RC16 could be more contenders in the races. After all, it is still being developed and MotoGP never holds back for anyone.
This Austrian company is going through a turning point. Strive to keep making the most of the current season or provide more support to the future reset and risk losing its current following. Both decisions are difficult and they each have their own consequences.
It is clear that KTM is putting in all the effort it can. Having commitment isn’t enough to claim the MotoGP title. Results do. At this moment, those results are not being realized.
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