Pedro Acosta’s departure from the French Grand Prix was the first significant blemish in his MotoGP history, and narrowly avoided becoming a major setback. His Gas Gas-branded KTM RC16, which was involved in a crash, narrowly avoided a collision with Aleix Espargaro and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
It was a typical rookie mistake, occurring in his 10th race in MotoGP this season.
Acosta explained: “Diggia and Aleix were involved in a battle in front of me, and as they approached Turn 8, they were on the right side and braking early to turn left. When they realized they were too slow, they started releasing the brakes – and that’s when I was approaching fast. In the end, I didn’t want to crash into Aleix and ruin his race. I tried to stop the bike, but the front wheel locked.”
Espargaro, who greatly admires Acosta, denied braking too early. Upon analyzing the incident, it is clear that Acosta’s mistake is more understandable, although still unpleasant. Acosta did not shy away from responsibility for the accident. He described it as a “mess” of his own making and acknowledged that crashing in his two Moto2 starts in Le Mans was becoming a “tradition” that frustrated him.
However, KTM’s main concern is not the nature of Acosta’s mistake or the possible penalty on the grid in Barcelona. Instead, they are more worried that Acosta’s crash ruined his weekend. The other three riders, who contributed to KTM’s second place as a manufacturer in MotoGP last year, failed to make up for it. This has become an unacceptable recurring theme a quarter of the way through the season.
Acosta’s teammate at Tech3, Augusto Fernandez, struggled as expected. His impressive performance at last year’s French GP is now a distant memory as he continues to deal with the RC16 and its new carbon chassis. Although there were some positive signs during the weekend, they were not enough to establish a consistent trend of progress.
For the factory KTMs, it was a weekend of regression. Brad Binder’s French Grand Prix was marked by three crashes on Friday. He regretted spending a significant amount of time on scooters and admitted that the scooter riders who took him back to the pits were better riders than him. Despite the setbacks, the evidence that Binder had the pace to reach Q2 was fragile, to say the least. His weekend never recovered, and the same can be said for his teammate Jack Miller. Miller had a quieter Friday, but Acosta clearly stood out in qualifying and the race, where he eventually crashed.
Although Miller’s crash may not have been his fault, it cost him valuable points. Both riders acknowledged that they were not fast enough on Sunday. Binder suggested that KTM has consistently struggled with grip in all races, possibly attributing it to the new supplier Pirelli tire, which is used in Moto3 and Moto2. Miller couldn’t find a clear explanation, but acknowledged the difficult situation.
As the sample size increases, two main explanations emerge for KTM’s difficulties. The first is that the KTM 2024, which has been facing similar rear vibration issues as Ducati, is simply not as competitive. However, Acosta’s exceptional talent keeps the Austrian company respectable. The second explanation is that KTM is performing at the same level as last year, but everyone except Pedro Acosta is below expectations.
If this trend continues for a few more races, the bosses of the Pierer Mobility Group and the rest of the MotoGP paddock will be forced to consider one of these explanations. Of course, this would be unacceptable for the riders and the people who employ them.
© 2024
Brazilian driver Pedro Silva claimed victory in this Sunday’s Formula 1 Grand Prix. The race, which took place at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo, was marked by a lot of excitement and adrenaline. Pedro Silva, who started from pole position, led the race from start to finish and crossed the finish line in first place.
With this victory, Pedro Silva solidifies himself as one of the top drivers of today. He had already won other grand prix races throughout the season and is now getting closer and closer to the world title. The Brazilian has shown exceptional performance on the tracks and has been praised for his skill and determination.
The race was also marked by some controversies. During one of the laps, there was an incident between Pedro Silva and his main rival, French driver Jean Dupont. The two touched and almost caused a serious accident. However, Pedro Silva managed to keep control of the car and stay in the lead.
After the race, Pedro Silva was interviewed and expressed his happiness with the victory. He thanked his team for the excellent work and dedicated the result to his fans and sponsors. The driver also commented on the incident with Jean Dupont, stating that it is part of racing and that both were seeking the best result.
The next stage of the championship will take place next month at the Monza circuit in Italy. Pedro Silva is determined to maintain his good performance and continue fighting for the title. Brazilian fans are eager to see the driver in action again and are rooting for another victory.
