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After being declared fit, Pedro Acosta was back on his KTM to tackle the first day of free practice in Thailand. Considering his physical condition, it's already a good sign that the Spanish rookie ended his Friday with a 7th time, first among his KTM colleagues. But there's still a long way to go to keep up with the Ducatis, at least 4 tenths. Even if Pedro's physical condition isn't optimal, he should be able to face the race. The Spanish rider had to make up for his difficulties by adjusting his bike. Meanwhile, the Austrian manufacturer didn't just sit back twidling its thumbs and took advantage of the day to work on the aerodynamics and bring a new fairing.
"My shoulder is fine, although it took some time to warm up," the Spanish rookie began. "I usually never do that before a session, but I took three, four laps to do it today. I felt some discomfort and pain during this morning's session, but the pain isn't unmanageable. So, overall, I'm satisfied."
Do you think your physical condition will allow you to tackle the 26 laps of the race?
"Yes. I did twenty laps today in the FP1 to see what condition I was in. I think I'll be fine. My shoulder isn't that bad as to warrant surgery. The pain will go away in a few weeks or so I was told. I'll have to do physical therapy, but I don't know all the details yet."
Has the aftermath of the injury affected your return here in Thailand?
"We made some adjustments to the bike during the FP1. We fixed the handlebars by widening them slightly. You can tell the difference in braking. Normally, I tend to spread one leg but, today, I was trying to hang on to the tank more with my legs. I also tried not to overdo it and conserve energy for the upcoming sessions. I think we did a good job in that regard."
The KTM seems to perform well on circuits with stop and gos. Is there still room for improvement?
"We still have to work on several things. Today was a day dedicated to deciding which fairing to use until the end of the season. It seems that every KTM has chosen the new option. I was the rider who tried both in the FP1. Obviously, like any modification, there are positives and negatives. I think it adds something to speed in corners. Rearing up is still a problem, but we had that with the previous option, as well."
