The rider Pedro Acosta has achieved the best time in the first practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix, raising KTM’s expectations of ending a four-year victory drought in the MotoGP category.
The RC16 has traditionally shown competitive form at the Red Bull Ring, and this weekend, the expectations were high from the team based in Mattighofen. However, the technical presence of Ducati and Aprilia has posed a significant challenge for KTM.
During the initial competition day in Spielberg, Acosta confidently led the practices, ending the day with a time 0.127s better than Fermin Aldeguer from Gresini, and with Ai Ogura from Aprilia in third place.
Additionally, rider Brad Binder, who has typically faced qualifying difficulties, managed to secure a direct place in Q2 with the seventh-best time.
Acosta was able to showcase more potential, opting not to take risks on his final lap once he had optimized the first sectors. With reliability issues overcome since last month, KTM is ready to take advantage of the long straights in Spielberg.
A special tire for Austria
One of the factors favoring KTM is the use of a reinforced rear tire provided by Michelin, which is used on circuits with high loads such as the Red Bull Ring. Acosta already started the season with a victory in the sprint in Thailand, a circuit where this type of tire was also used.
Binder has highlighted how this tire fits the KTM better, improving confidence and reducing common issues at the front of the bike.
Less grip, more opportunities
The test rider Pol Espargaro, replacing Maverick Vinales at Tech3, believes that this year the grip of the track is lower compared to the previous one, which benefits the current setup of the bike.
Espargaro explains that KTM has achieved better results when grip is limited, with Acosta showing good skills especially in braking.
Mutual collaboration between Acosta and Binder
Acosta and Binder can learn from each other to improve in different sectors of the circuit. While Acosta has the best time in the last sector, Binder excels in the third, allowing both figures to work together to optimize performance.
While the Red Bull Ring has been a lucky circuit for KTM, with Binder achieving a record victory in 2021, the Austrian manufacturer has not won in over four years, with the last victory of Miguel Oliveira nearly two years ago.
Acosta, who will leave KTM at the end of the season, has expressed that a victory in his home county would be an ideal farewell, although he urged caution in the face of expectations while observing improvements from other teams.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
