POL ESPARGARO SAYS KTM TEAMMATES CAN’T REPLICATE PEDRO ACOSTA’S RIDING PHYSIQUE

KTM’s dominance in recent seasons has been closely tied to Pedro Acosta’s ability to extract the maximum from the RC16, and Pol Espargaro believes the gap between Acosta and the rest of the Austrian manufacturer’s riders is not just a matter of setup or pace—it’s physical.

Espargaro pointed to Acosta’s standout 2025 campaign, when the Spaniard was KTM’s leading performer and finished fourth overall. He also highlighted that Acosta was the only rider to consistently get the most out of the bike, particularly in the second half of the year. That form has carried into 2026: Acosta has seven podiums, including Sprint results, and sits sixth in the standings. By contrast, Brad Binder is reported down in 13th, Enea Bastianini in 12th, and Maverick Vinales in 22nd.

The comparison was sharpened by Aragon, where Acosta delivered another strong performance. He battled Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi and finished second, with Espargaro noting that Acosta was 24 seconds clear of the next-best KTM rider, Bastianini, who came home as the closest challenger. Binder was a further second behind in 10th. In the same race, Acosta’s advantage was framed as a “sad statistic” by the rider himself: “A bit of a sad statistic,” Acosta said in response to the gap. “In the end, I hope they improve soon, because that will only make me improve too. I’m happy with my performance, but we have to improve the overall level of the bike and the brand.”

Espargaro’s argument centers on Acosta’s “unique physique” and how it allows him to ride in a way that other KTM riders cannot replicate. Speaking on DAZN, he said Acosta’s approach is “practically impossible to do unless you’re Pedro,” explaining that Acosta’s long arms and the way he leans his body out create a “sail effect” at key moments. According to Espargaro, Acosta’s braking involves lifting his body significantly to help the bike stop earlier than others. Then, mid-corner, he leans his body far to the outside to sharpen the bike’s turn. Espargaro added that this is done “with your body and not with the bike’s handling,” requiring top physical condition, and that Acosta performs it in a “physical, natural way” without necessarily thinking about it.

The idea that Acosta’s edge is also tied to how he reads the tyres was echoed by journalist Neil Morrison on the Paddock Pass podcast. Morrison said that in rider meetings, other KTM riders would discuss which Michelin tyres “would work, wouldn’t work,” while Acosta’s view was different: “Well, actually, if you don’t ride completely flat out with this one and just take a step back, that’s where you actually find the peak performance.”

Bastianini also pointed to the psychological side, admitting he “lost his edge” after watching Acosta at the Aragon GP, and he has been described as struggling to match Acosta’s “confidence,” especially on corner entry. Espargaro praised Acosta’s late braking and body positioning, calling him “an extraordinary rider, out of the ordinary,” and suggested KTM fans will be watching him “for years to come.”

Acosta’s season numbers underline the scale of the issue: his 189 points are reported to be more than Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini and injury-hit Maverick Vinales have managed put together (172). Speaking to outlets including AS after Aragon, Acosta said he hopes the rest of KTM can raise their level through stronger internal competition.

With Acosta set to leave for Ducati at the end of the season, KTM will field an entirely new roster: Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio join as factory riders, while Moto2 star Senna Agius is set to follow Luca Marini to Tech3. The deficit between Binder and Acosta is also reported to have contributed to KTM’s decision to let the South African go, with Binder moving to BMW’s World Superbikes team and Bastianini joining Trackhouse.