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Minus the sanctions, Vinales' performance last weekend in Qatar appeared to have reassured KTM and its riders after a difficult start to the season in which finding the right solution seemed difficult. Mindful of his explosive start to the season in 2024, Acosta is determined to get those sensations back by putting aside overdevelopment and using a less updated bike. After all, with testing on the horizon this Monday, getting a good result in the first European round - and on friendly ground to boot, to then start off in the right direction - is going to be important.
"We had a very good start to the race in Qatar," the Spanish rider began. "I point a finger at myself for the mistake on the first lap, even if I then got back in the top six. Vinales' race was incredible, although qualifying penalized us. This will be the first race where I won't have two different bikes, so we can focus on bike set-up and preparation for the weekend instead of trying different things."
What expectations do you have here in Jerez?
"With Valencia being one of our home grand prixs, racing here is one of the most exciting times of the year. We'll have to approach it calmly but with the ambition of getting back to being as fast as in the past. When we don't have problems, we know we can be. Last year, it went quite well. The fall in qualifying penalized us a lot. We're coming from bigger circuits while, here, things get more difficult. Shorter straights, hard braking and more laps, so this could be a good turning point in the season."
What did Vinales' performance in Qatar show KTM. What does the data say?
"Actually, there wasn't a big difference. He was fast in braking, but he also had a clear path because he was fighting up in front with Marc. It's easier to ride with one bike in front than with seven. From the middle of the race, he was able to maintain grip, which is also a consequence of the riding position. But we're not far behind. For me, the thing that penalized us the most was qualifying."
In Qatar, you returned to last year's bike. Will this be the case in Jerez, as well? When will you go back to testing the 2025?
"Yes, that's right. Right now, we have four substantially different bikes on the track. My sensations about the 2024 bike are better. To do more testing, there's going to have to be something important on the bike. For now, I'll continue with last year's bike."
Your decision?
"When something doesn't work, and you can't move forward, the only thing is to go back. Today's MotoGP has become a puzzle. The moment you find something, the rest then comes accordingly. Last year, braking and hard braking were a strong point of mine. That disappeared. I couldn't overtake anymore, even when braking. I think it was the right decision. As soon as I got on the bike, I realized that everything else didn't matter. I needed this. Even if it's just being a bit better, you go with that. Besides the fact that we went backwards because of a mistake that needed to be made and that we made. We have to keep being confident and keep going. Even if we cry about it, nothing's going to change. We can't spend seventeen races crying."
Doesn't this risk complicating the data comparison between the KTMs?
"Yes. But, right now, each KTM is different. Sharing data is important, but you have to be precise, because you end up seeing what you want to see. It's difficult but, at the end of the day, the foundation is the same."
It looks like we won't be seeing wild cards from KTM this year. Could that be a problem?
"The important thing is that they continue to test and try new things to develop the bike as quickly as possible. We have Pedrosa with us who's doing a great job, and also Pol who's a new rider in this category."
