Pedro Acosta’s patience with KTM has finally run out – he has his sights set on a Ducati seat and can’t wait to leave his current team in the dust. This is the bomb dropped by veteran MotoGP insider Carlo Pernat, who claims the Spanish prodigy is tired of KTM’s constant technical failures and is counting down the days until he joins forces with MotoGP veteran Marc Marquez at Ducati.
Acosta, who is just 22 and already one of the sport’s hottest prospects, has endured a tumultuous situation with KTM since their promotion to the premier class in 2024. With 49 races, 13 podium appearances and two pole positions under his belt, Acosta has proven he belongs at the top. But recent months have been plagued with frustration and mechanical heartbreak, culminating in a disastrous Czech Grand Prix, where his KTM RC16 died suddenly while running a strong fifth. The incident marks another entry in the growing list of reliability nightmares that have embarrassed both rider and team.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Ducati has now locked down seven world title winner Marc Marquez to a fresh contract for the 2028 season, setting the stage for a blockbuster partnership in 2027 when Acosta is ready to make the jump. The prospect of Acosta and Marquez sharing a garage is nothing short of an earthquake for MotoGP, promising fireworks, fierce competition and a potential power change at the top of the sport. For KTM, Acosta’s impending departure represents not only the loss of a generational talent, but a serious indictment of their inability to provide a competitive and reliable machine.
Pernot minced no words in his assessment of the situation, speaking with characteristic frankness. “But unfortunately for KTM, the engines stopped. There’s nothing to be done,” he told GPOne, laying the blame at KTM’s door. He added, “Pedro Acosta is getting tired. He’s right – he can’t take it anymore. Once again, the engine lets him down. He can’t wait until next year to ride the Ducati with Marc Márquez.” Pernaut’s comments echo a growing sentiment in the MotoGP paddock: KTM’s technical problems are pushing away their brightest star.
Acosta himself, speaking after the huge disappointment at Brno, revealed a level of resignation that should set off alarm bells within the KTM hierarchy. “It was exactly the same problem I had on Friday. It just shut down,” he said, referring to the latest in a series of mechanical failures. “I (have reached the point where) I am not even disappointed. I did nothing wrong. I cannot change what is not in my hands. It is what it is.” His comments exposed his frustration and indicated a broken trust between the rider and the team.
The 22-year-old publicly demanded answers from KTM and repeatedly urged them to send “everything to the factory” to get to the bottom of the reliability issues. “Now it’s time for KTM to give some answers and try to analyze why we are having these reliability problems. Because I already have many problems. I think now KTM should send everything to the factory, try to understand what is happening and give some answers because it has already happened many times (technical problems).”
The implications of this rift are huge. Acosta’s potential move to Ducati signals a sea change in the MotoGP landscape, leaving KTM struggling to rebuild and Ducati preparing for an era of dominance with two generational talents under one roof. For Acosta, the future is extremely close – a chance to win a world title, a chance to race with a living legend, and, perhaps most importantly, a chance to ride a machine that won’t betray him at his worst moment. As the countdown to 2027 begins, all eyes are now on KTM: will they find a way to keep their star happy – or will Acosta’s exit mark the end of their MotoGP ambitions? One thing is certain: this saga is far from over, and the next chapter promises to be explosive.
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