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KTM left Lusail as the second force in MotoGP, thanks to a Brad Binder capable of moving up to second place in the championship standings, two points behind leader Francesco Bagnaia, with two placings of honor in races on the track on the outskirts of Doha. It was an encouraging start for the House of Mattighofen, which came to the fore in the Qatar spotlight thanks to the talents of the South African and a Pedro Acosta who threw himself into the fray without any reverential fear.
"We still have to catch up, but we improved in the areas where we wanted to improve compared to the Sprint and we are more confident than on Friday," team manager Francesco Guidotti told Sky Sports, taking stock of the first weekend of the year: "We have to deal with different situations, circuits with different characteristics and different circumstances in terms of weather, so it will take three or four races to have a real dimension of where we are and where everyone is, but to have started like this here, where we were struggling a bit, gives us hope."
Guidotti: "Acosta's debut reminded me of Martin's."
With Brad armored until 2026 and Pedro promising sparks after taking the measure of the premier class, the future looks bright for the Austrian brand. Despite being only 19 years old, and three seasons behind him in the propaedeutic classes of MotoGP, in fact, the two-time world champion once again proved his talent by going on the attack right from his debut.
"It reminded me of Martin's debut in 2021, when he had made an incredible start and was there with the leading group and then lost slowly because the management of a MotoGP race is different and more complicated. These are guys who have something extra inside ," the manager noted, "Pedro had a good feeling with the bike right away, which is key. He's learning quickly and he made the most of the situation he found himself in, because a rookie learns more by doing half a race with the first five than 22 laps with the 15th."
Guidotti: "I'd like to get Marc, but I don't think he changes three bikes in three years."
It'snot enough of a super Acosta, however, to completely scuttle the possibility of bringing the likes of Marc Marquez, still without a contract for 2025, toKTM. With Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez in clear trouble compared to their brandmates, the Austrian manufacturer continues to relish the idea of signing the eight-time champion, as the Tuscan admitted when returning to talk about the market.
"Meanwhile, we already start with an advantage on the decisions to be made, because Pedro we already have him ," Guidotti commented, "As for Marc, I don't hide the fact that I would like to have him anyway (laughs). Having both of them would be a big deal. But he did very well with Ducati and it seems strange to me that he would want to change three bikes in three years, if only because of his age. I think he will play the cards he has with this bike, even in the future."
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