Pedro Acosta carried KTM on his back through the first half of the 2026 MotoGP season. Much like last year, the Mattighofen manufacturer proved heavily reliant on the young Spaniard, but even he couldn’t perform miracles amid repeated reliability woes.
As has been the case for a while now, Acosta’s performance remains head and shoulders above his brand mates. In the opening half of the year, the Mazarrón-born rider claimed three podiums—finishing second in Thailand and Hungary, and third in the United States—along with a pole position. He sits seventh in the standings on 148 points, 60 adrift of championship leader Jorge Martín.
The stark contrast comes from teammate Brad Binder, who hasn’t stepped onto a MotoGP podium since his runner-up finish at the 2024 Qatar GP. The South African has amassed just 64 points so far, leaving him 13th in the table. Also aboard the RC16, Enea Bastianini has scored 76 points to date, while Maverick Viñales—who missed three rounds due to injury—has managed just ten.
However, the point standings are not the biggest source of anxiety. Throughout the first half of the championship, KTM was plagued by multiple mechanical failures. The most alarming incident occurred at the Catalan GP, when a failure on Acosta’s RC16 triggered a massive accident with Álex Márquez. Unable to fully avoid his opponent, the Gresini rider clipped the bike and crashed heavily, suffering a fractured collarbone and vertebra.
During the German GP weekend, KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer admitted that there is an underlying issue with the RC16 engine. However, implementing a fix requires unanimous consent from rival manufacturers due to the current engine development freeze. According to Beirer, Aprilia has already given its approval, but the green light from the remaining teams remains pending.
Given that this is a fundamental safety matter—not just for KTM’s line-up, but for the entire grid—the Austrian brand is expected to secure rival approval. Nevertheless, the damage has already been done, with significant points lost to mechanical DNFs throughout 2026.
Even so, their position in the Constructors’ World Championship looks relatively secure. The Austrians hold third place in the standings with 190 points—140 behind leaders Aprilia, but holding an 81-point cushion over Honda in fourth.
Catching Aprilia and Ducati seems an overly ambitious target given KTM’s form so far, even as Acosta continues to work miracles. Yet keeping the Japanese rivals at bay remains realistic, especially in a season where mid-year upgrades will be scarce across the grid ahead of the major 2027 regulation change.
MotoGP now enters its summer break before returning to action August 7–9 for the British GP, Round 12 of the 2026 season.
