“Life goes on” - KTM “never planned” for MotoGP without Pedro Acosta
Pit Beirer admits KTM never planned to lose Pedro Acosta but says the factory's all-new 2027 MotoGP line-up offers a fresh opportunity.
KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer admits losing Pedro Acosta to Ducati for 2027 was hard to swallow, but that “life goes on” and “if one door is closing, another is opening”.
Acosta has been with KTM since joining the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2019 before winning Moto3 and Moto2 world titles on his way to MotoGP.
However, despite now being firmly established as the Austrian manufacturer's lead MotoGP rider, Acosta is yet to win a premier-class grand prix and will leave to join reigning champion Marc Marquez in Ducati's factory team next season.
“It's no secret. I mean, we had to swallow that Pedro wants to leave us, because he's been with us so long,” Pit Beirer told MotoGP pit lane reporter Jack Appleyard in Sachsenring.
“The Rookies Cup, Moto3 world champion, Moto2 world champion. Broken leg, coming back. We went through so many things together.
“But as always, life goes on.
“There was one moment it was like looking for us quite frustrating, honestly, because we never planned for like the replacement, of course. We were putting all our cards on him somehow.
“But always if one door is closing, another one is opening.”
That opportunity came in the form of satellite Ducati team stars Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio, who will replace Acosta and Brad Binder in the factory KTM team for 2027.
“Both Alex and Fabio [are] boys with amazing skills for MotoGP. What they can do is proven on track,” Beirer said. “Everybody can see the same things I could see.
“These boys are developing really strongly. They both made another clear step this year in performance and to get in contact with them, talk to them and make a deal with them was refreshing.
“So all in all, it's something we are really looking forward to for next season.”
The all-new KTM line-up coincides with MotoGP’s major technical changes, with new 850cc machines and Pirelli tyres for 2027.
“We feel this 850 is a perfect restart for KTM,” Beirer said.
“Because in the whole project so far, we never had the chance to really rethink everything and make major changes, for example, in the bike characteristics.
“Because [normally] the bike is just growing and then you add on development.
“But now all the learning from, I would say, two bike models, which we had in our short MotoGP career, is packed into the 850.
“But the 850 also needs also suer strong riders. And I feel this package is getting complete now. We are really looking forward to this.”
Acosta starts the second half of the MotoGP season seventh in the world championship.
di Giannantonio is fifth for VR46 with reigning title runner-up Alex Marquez slipping to ninth at Gresini, after missing three rounds due to injury.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
