After a difficult start to the 2025 season and a continuation that was not without its ups and downs, KTM is looking to the future of its racing programme with renewed hope and positivity now that the storm has blown over. However, the start of 2026 will present no fewer challenges for the Austrian manufacturer, which, in addition to facing the usual tests with the usual drive to close the gap with its rivals, will also have to contend with changes in regulations and expiring contracts, primarily those of the riders in a heated market that is already seeing the first moves.
A market in which KTM will find itself at the center of the storm, in an attempt to keep young Pedro Acosta, who has perhaps achieved less than he hoped for and is eager to unleash his competitiveness on the track with a vehicle that allows him to express himself to the fullest. Pit Beirer, Motorsport Director of the Austrian manufacturer, spoke about these issues after the presentation of the two teams for 2026 .
"2025 started off uphill for us," Pit Beirer stated, "but during the summer break we managed to take a big step forward and started fighting for the podium. That gave us a lot of confidence with an eye to the future, especially after such a difficult start to the season. Looking back , I have to thank Maverick, who was the first of the four riders to show us the way forward, and we built on that. I remember when he finished fourth at Mugello, half a second behind Bagnaia, a world champion on Ducati. I sensed the first signs that we were getting closer after a difficult start, and the other riders looked to him for new energy. I think it's no secret that for Acosta, anything less than a win was a defeat. He tried hard and didn't accept that we weren't in the position to win. It took weeks to get all the parts we needed at the start of the season, so for us it was a restart halfway through the championship. We were then able to reorganize ourselves mentally and not just financially, and we saw the team come together and start to get results and fight for the podium regularly. It's no secret that this situation was a step backwards for the MotoGP project, but we managed to get out of it and fight for the podium again. I'm proud of the team and those who stayed on board to get us to where we are now, preparing for 2026 as normal, with the parts ready for Valencia and the parts the riders want for Sepang. I can't wait to see them back on track."
Do you think KTM has what it takes to convince Acosta to stay, or does it need more time?
"We haven't done enough yet because we need to prove first. Somehow, I think the end of the year gave him confidence, but he made no secret that he still expects another step on the bike. We made a very clear plan on how we're going to face the season and how we're going to face the Sepang test, especially. I'm quite certain the Sepang test will be important for us to show not just Pedro but all our riders what we've delivered over the winter. I'm confident we will deliver, we will have a good Sepang test, and from that atmosphere, we're going to talk with our riders about the future. I don't want to talk to them right now when they all expect a step from us, we did our homework, we need to get some good lap times in Sepang. But the feeling for the rider is important; it's not just the lap time, it's how they feel when they jump on the bike, if some problems we wanted to fix are solved, so that's why I feel we have a chance to talk to Pedro about the future."
In the second half of the season, Pedro showed great signs. Do you think he's ready to fight at the front in 2026?
"Yes, he's still very young and learns quickly. With the return of Marc, we now know where the bar is, so I'm not saying we'll go out and win right away, but I feel we'll pick up where we left off last year."
The challenge will not only be to be competitive in 2026, but also to be competitive in 2027 with the new regulations.
"Everyone will have the burden of working on two bikes, and no one will back down. I don't expect our rivals to sit back and relax in 2026 to work on the 850cc. The freeze will help us work on the new project, and the bike was already on the track in December. So the situation is not easy to manage, but we also have a lot of commitment from the new owner Bajaj. Building an 850cc bike has taken a few steps, so the commitment has been there for some time. Last year I had a terrible Christmas and couldn't sleep at night, but this year we have a stable budget, a strong plan, and we took a break during the holidays so that everyone could recover. We are back to normal, so I am confident. We have four fantastic riders, and we talk a lot about Pedro. We think we can do better with him than we have done, and the same goes for the others. There's Enea, who is a fantastic rider and showed us at Brno that he can be on the podium, and Binder, who brought us our first MotoGP victory. There's more than we saw last year, but I don't want to blame the riders; it was our platform that wasn't wide and strong enough to allow them to be competitive."
How are you managing the dual role with the test team?
"We have both Dani and Pol involved in both projects, which allows us to take advantage of the same tests and work on both bikes. Some things are very important to Dani, who thinks they will be useful to the guys on the track, and then there's Pol, who sometimes pushes the bike to the limit and has a more radical approach, but that's something that happens to the guys too; not everyone is able to ride according to Pedrosa's characteristics. So there's this combination of the handling and lightness that Dani is looking for, but also rideability under heavy pressure, and the result is a combination of these two aspects. At the moment, we haven't planned any wild cards yet; we're looking more at the short term."
Renewal with Tech3 is also up for discussion.
"It is absolutely our priority, even though at the moment no manufacturer has a contract with Dorna for the near future, which is why no one is closing contracts with satellite teams. In this regard, we had an MSMA meeting today , and we all agree that the time has come. We don't have much time left if we want to start planning for the future. As for Tech3, I spoke with Steiner last week and the desire is to stay with us, and we want them to stay. We are working on it, but it's also a free market, so it is normal for everyone to talk to everyone. From what I understand, it's in Dorna's interest that no manufacturer take on more teams, so I think stability is the best thing for the championship. I think that to have a healthy project in MotoGP, you need four bikes. It's the perfect number for reading the data and for the riders to spur each other on. So, in the next four weeks, there will be several important decisions to make."
You also have many young talents in the lower categories. What are your plans with an eye to the future of MotoGP?
"We have several young riders under contract, from the Rookies Cup to our excellent relationship with the Aspar team and Aki Ajo's team. We still have a very strong junior project. We still believe in the Rookies Cup, even with the change to Moto3 on the horizon, and Aki Ajo, in addition to being team manager, is also our best scout for young talent."
During the winter break, there were also rumors that CFMoto might become more involved in the MotoGP project.
"With CFMoto, from management to the racing department, we are friends, they are our business partners, we have had a partnership for years, and that's why they come to Mattighofen from time to time, and the next day there is talk of a MotoGP acquisition, which is not true and has not been discussed. We enjoy working with them and are happy that they use our bikes in Moto3, but when it comes to MotoGP, we have a fantastic CEO, Neumeister, who is the right person to lead the company into the future. A lot of work has been done to repair the damage we have suffered, and all of this is also reported to Bajaj, who is a great support. At the worst moment for the company, we didn't have a chance to talk, but it's thanks to Bajaj that we're still here. With their great commitment, they saved the company and gave us the chance to continue working and repair this company. They have been our partners for 18 years, and racing is not new to them, but until now, they didn't have an active role in management. Now that the ownership has changed, they've become more involved and are now more like fans. We work for KTM in the Bajaj group, so at the moment we are not in danger of the MotoGP project being bought by another manufacturer."
The arrival of new investors like Steiner is something that will happen more often. Is this a positive development, or are there dangers on the horizon?
"Obviously, it's something new. If you had told me two years ago that there were investors interested in buying into MotoGP, I wouldn't have believed you. The interest is there; there are strong investors who want to be part of MotoGP, and this is thanks to the fantastic work done by Dorna over the years, hence the arrival of Liberty Media, now the Tech3 transaction, and it could happen again. Choosing the right partner makes the project stronger. We are all a bit blinded by racing because we want to win and improve the bike, but sometimes we forget to look at the bigger picture. So I don't see the arrival of other people in the paddock as a negative if they help us create a bigger platform and a bigger show. They would make the sport bigger for everyone, which would be a positive thing, even if selling 50% would also mean delegating 50% of the decisions. Until that happens, you have more freedom, but on the other hand, the right partner can make you stronger by bringing technology and sponsors to the table. Looking at F1 and then MotoGP, the only big investors putting money in are the five manufacturers; the others come and do their business, small or large. So if there were a less expensive way for manufacturers to do more business, we would be open and interested."
Last season we saw some exciting races and others less so.
"My opinion is no secret, we were against aerodynamics and ride-height devices, we all think it has made the sport more expensive and taken away space for riders to make a difference. The bikes are faster, braking distances have been reduced, cornering is better, everything has improved, so the space for the rider has been reduced. Therefore, I think we could have some interesting races with a little less technology, and for 2027, we will make some of these changes that will give the riders back the tools they need."