KTM rider Pedro Acosta, despite starting in the lead at the Japanese Grand Prix, unexpectedly dropped down. The Spanish rider could not explain the loss of grip in braking and acceleration, even though the motorcycle felt normal. Acosta mentioned the difficulties he experienced during the race.
Details of Grip Issues
Acosta stated that the problem he experienced in the race was not due to a single point. Acosta emphasized that the race was long and difficult.
It was a tough race. It has been a long time since I have experienced a race this difficult. It seems we could not match the motorcycle with the tires correctly.
The rider stated that he is 22 years old. He expressed that he struggled to stop the motorcycle while braking and could not get enough traction when exiting corners.
I struggled a lot to stop the motorcycle. At the same time, I could not find enough grip in the acceleration sections. However, it is not a disaster of seventh place.
Acosta expressed the magnitude of the performance loss.
It was really bad.
Acosta stated that he did not encounter a technical fault with the motorcycle, but the performance loss was still quite large.
There was no grip in braking, and there was the same problem when accelerating at the start of the race. It improved a bit, but it dropped again at the end of the race.
Comments Regarding Motorcycle Behavior
Acosta said that the loss of grip was due to the general behavior of the motorcycle. He stated that the way the motorcycle operated was normal.
It was really bad because the motorcycle actually felt normal. Apart from braking and corner exits, the way the motorcycle operated was normal. I have never experienced such a feeling before.
Acosta expressed that there was not enough explanation for the issue related to the use of hard tires. The fact that all riders in the race use hard rear tires made Acosta wonder whether the performance difference between Saturday and Sunday was due to the tires.
I don't think that just because we changed the tires, one day is this fast and the next day is this slow. There was something else, but we do not know what it is yet.
Acosta stated that he focused on the upcoming Indonesian Grand Prix rather than exaggerating the result in Japan.
I can say it was seventh and we skipped the day. Now we are going to Mandalika.
Figures
- Pedro Acosta finished in 4th place with 243 points in the 2026 MotoGP season (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
- Archive: MotoGP: Marquez sprints to victory, Acosta torpedoed (October 3, 2026)
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Go to sourceCompiled by Şükrü Utku Poyraz
