Pedro Acosta played it safe at the Sepang test, and plans to aim for "pure performance" at the Thailand test.
Peter Acosta concluded the Sepang test satisfied with the work done and the KTM improvementWhile he continues to exercise some caution due to the high grip of the track, which could distort some tests, he could only note the progress of his RC16 and the good sensations felt throughout these three days.
The Spanish rider has also worked on his technique and hasn't crashed, unlike last year's test where he made numerous mistakes. This combination of progress, both on his part and with the bike, gives him high hopes for Thailand, which he is eagerly anticipating so he can really start pushing hard.
“I could have finished in the top 5 if I hadn’t fitted the best tire at a time when the track conditions weren’t ideal. Unfortunately, on the first day I had to try the new chassis, yesterday I rode the old bike, and today I used the standard 2025 tire for my lap time. Then I worked on the new one, I switched to new tires, but a time attack wasn’t my goal today.”, he explained during his debriefing.
“There have been some issues that have arisen, and we don’t know the reason for them, but despite that, the feeling isn’t as negative as it was last year during testing. Ducati remains ahead, but our RC16 is working better than it will in 2025. In Thailand, I’ll try to focus on pure performance, because here I’ve just been trying not to crash and to spend as much time on track as possible. I’m happy with the work done and how we’ve managed things in the garage. I have a pretty clear idea of the bike I want.”
Acosta He knows that there will still be work to do for the KTM to be at the level of the Ducati, but he believes that the precise strengths of each will be better seen in Thailand in two weeks.
“We’re slower than Ducati, but my goal here was to get a clearer idea of what to bring to Thailand to have the best package. Overall, I’m happy, especially considering Sepang isn’t my favorite circuit. I think it will be just as tough at Buriram, but I’m curious to go there to understand everyone’s level, given how fast they all were here.”he concluded.
Combined results from the final day of testing at Sepang :
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
