A year ago, KTM was going through a difficult phase in the MotoGP. The group's economic situation had forced the development of the RC16 into a temporary standstill, therefore, Mattighofen had to squeeze the most out of the material already available while its rivals continued to grow.
In that context, Pedro Acosta also went through difficult times, during which he'd sometimes lose his composure and confidence. According to KTM's Motorsports Director, Pit Beirer, who recently spoke at an event at the Motohall as reported by Speedweek, Maverick Viñales was the one who restored order in the garage, changing the team's mental approach: "Maverick saved our butt." And while the idea that the bike wasn't competitive enough spread among the riders, Viñales repeated that "the bike was good enough to get on the podium," working first on himself and on understanding the KTM.
The turning point came at Mugello, with a fourth place in the Sprint, which rekindled the team's confidence. But the decisive step was Beirer's direct confrontation with Acosta, which turned into a challenge with no excuses: "If you're as good as you think you are, then you have to first be the best KTM." The manager confronted him with a reality: Viñales is ahead of you so, before talking about technical limitations, you have to prove that you're the in-house benchmark. "If Viñales finishes fourth or fifth, then you also have to finish fourth or fifth, maybe even third."
Acosta took it on the chin but then reacted immediately: "The next day, he finished in the top five. That was the point where we turned the season around." From then on, the Spanish rider grew and went back to consistently fighting for the podium. KTM then regained momentum, despite Viñales' subsequent injury. Beirer gives credit to him for laying the foundations for the final results.