What is behind Acosta's improvement in MotoGP sophomore campaign?

KTM team leader Pedro Acosta says he is a more mature rider as he approaches the end of his second season in MotoGP. This follows a smart run to second place in the Indonesian Grand Prix last weekend. 

While the Spaniard’s raw speed has once again been plain for all to see since KTM’s resurgence began at the Czech Grand Prix in July, he has fallen at inopportune moments and struggled with tyre management in recent races. 

At Mandalika, however, the 21-year-old factory rider manipulated the Indonesian GP to his advantage. He made the most of his bike’s straightline speed and braking performance to slow the pace while sitting in second throughout the middle of the race. 

While that meant Fermin Aldeguer was able to sail ahead to a victory that Acosta clearly didn’t think was realistic for him, it allowed the KTM to enter the final part of the race with healthy rubber. 

Acosta did lose second place for a few laps at two-thirds distance, and was as low as fourth behind Alex Rins and Alex Marquez at the end of lap 22 of 27. But his intact tyres meant he was able to regain second late in the race, setting his best lap with just three to go - far later than those around him. 

“I’m becoming a better rider since the beginning of the year,” Acosta reflected afterwards. “I think now I'm maturing a bit more compared to the step that I made last year. Now, I'm more or less constantly also in the top five [because of] this. 

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Sonny Tumbelaka / AFP via Getty Images

“I think I’m riding better races. Not making the rookie mistakes I was making at the beginning of the season. I’m more consistent in being fast. We are becoming better.” 

When asked what KTM still needed to do to turn podium pace into victory pace, the broadly optimistic Acosta pointed to a lack of feeling at the front of the bike. 

“We know that something is happening in the front part of the bike because we are not turning. We are not having any help from the front," he added. 

“Many of the crashes that we are having are because we don't have any feedback [in this area]. It's quite difficult to know now, but KTM is working on it for sure. I'm able more or less to be fast always."