POL ESPARGARO SAYS KTM’S FIRST WIN FOR PEDRO ACOSTA FEELS BITTERSWEET

Pedro Acosta’s first MotoGP win arrived at KTM’s home Austrian Grand Prix, but the moment carried a bittersweet edge inside the Austrian camp. The Tech3 reserve rider Pol Espargaro described the emotions as a blend of celebration and regret, explaining that while the team were proud, the timing meant the milestone landed close to the end of Acosta’s KTM journey.

Espargaro said the victory was the product of collective effort, while also stressing how much it reflected Acosta’s own work. “Pedro made it happen,” Espargaro told DAZN (via Sport). “It happened thanks to the hard work of the whole team, but also, and by far, thanks to Pedro’s hard work.” He then summed up the internal feeling with a clear contrast: “It’s a feeling somewhere between joy and sadness. Joy at having achieved it and sadness because it came too late.”

The context behind that “too late” sentiment was widely understood within KTM. Acosta took nearly two years to secure his first MotoGP career win with the team, and with his move to Ducati already on the horizon, the win came only months before his KTM chapter would end. For KTM personnel, the achievement was still meaningful—especially because it arrived at a race where the home crowd and team support were at their strongest—but it also reduced the runway for Acosta to enjoy the full momentum of a first breakthrough while still wearing KTM colours.

Despite the internal timing concerns, the paddock reaction was overwhelmingly positive. MotoGP reporter Jack Appleyard, speaking on After The Flag, highlighted how rivalries appeared to fade as riders and teams came out to congratulate Acosta and KTM. “I have to say, there’s very few times, up and down the pit lane, it feels as though those rivalries wash away,” Appleyard said. “I saw Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, people from Moto2 and Moto3 teams all coming out to celebrate and to congratulate the KTM team and Pedro Acosta.” He added that the sense of occasion went beyond KTM alone: “It felt as though it was a victory for Pedro Acosta today, but also, and I’m sure many will agree, a victory for MotoGP.”

The significance of the win was also reflected in the praise from within the sport. After Acosta’s success, Jorge Lorenzo referred to him as an “alien,” one of the highest compliments a rider can receive.

With the first win now on his record, the reporting suggests it could be the start of a longer run of results—particularly as Acosta’s Ducati move in 2027 places him in a strong position to build toward championship ambitions.