Pedro Acosta credited his crew chief’s encouragement during winter video calls for his strong start in the 2026 MotoGP season, where he claimed the points lead after the opening round in Thailand. This guidance helped Acosta maintain focus and keep expectations balanced amid a challenging off-season.
Entering 2026, KTM had not secured a victory in any MotoGP race or sprint since Brad Binder’s 2023 Jerez Sprint win. Similarly, Acosta had been searching for a breakthrough after moving up to the premier class in 2024, having yet to win in either MotoGP discipline until this round.
Race Results Mark Breakthrough and Historic Milestone
Acosta’s fortunes shifted dramatically during the weekend’s races. On Saturday, he won the race following a contentious penalty assessed to Marc Marquez, who had made contact with Acosta at the final corner late in the penultimate lap. Acosta then solidified his strong showing by finishing second in Sunday’s Thai Grand Prix.
This performance propelled Acosta to the top of the MotoGP riders’ standings, making him the first KTM rider to lead the championship in the Austrian manufacturer’s premier class history.
Maintaining Realistic Expectations Through Consistent Focus
Acosta revealed that his crew chief, Paul Trevathan, maintained regular video contact with him over the winter to ensure he kept a level head after the lofty ambitions that hurt him during 2025’s first half. This steady communication encouraged Acosta to stay calm and realistic about his progress.
“At the end, we worked super-fine all winter,”
Acosta said during the MotoGP.com After the Flag post-race program.
“He [Paul Trevathan] was pushing me a lot in video calls the whole winter to keep calm and to don’t think so much because maybe the expectation last year was quite high and was not helping.
Also, things that are happening in life are making you more conscious of how life is going.
Acosta aimed to begin the new season mirroring his strong finish from the previous year by targeting top-five results consistently. Even after a disappointing Warm Up session, the team encouraged him to focus on securing a top-five finish rather than chasing ideal outcomes.
“We are making good races, not a lot of mistakes compared to last year. For this, it’s time to keep in this line.”
Progress and Challenges Ahead for KTM and Acosta
Acosta expressed satisfaction with KTM’s ongoing efforts to improve the bike’s performance, while acknowledging tougher battles loom throughout 2026. Last year at this same circuit, he recalled struggling just to reach the top 10.
“I remember last year here we were suffering to even be inside the top-10,”
he stated.
KTM’s intensive development through the winter has yielded incremental gains to help Acosta better endure race conditions, suggesting the team may have identified crucial performance upgrades. Yet, he cautioned that not every Grand Prix is expected to be this favorable, emphasizing the importance of maintaining composure and steady progress.
“KTM is making a really nice job. It’s true that they are 100 per cent pushing to give me [slight improvements] during the whole winter to try to survive a bit more in the races.
It looks like we found something.
It’s true that there’s still a long way to go, not every GP will be that nice like that one, but we are working quite okay in the box.
For this, we have to keep calm and to keep in this way.”
