EXPERIENCE MEETS AMBITION: WHAT PEDRO ACOSTA AND BRAD BINDER TOLD US ABOUT KTM'S MOTOGP FUTURE AT HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX
words by JANA LETONJA
At the Hungarian Grand Prix at Balaton Park, KTM arrived with reasons for both optimism and reflection. On one side of the garage stood Pedro Acosta, the young sensation rapidly establishing himself as one of MotoGP's most exciting talents. On the other was Brad Binder, KTM's longest-serving MotoGP rider and one of the key figures behind the manufacturer's rise from newcomer to contender.
Ahead of the race weekend, we sat down with both riders to discuss KTM's progress, their personal journeys, and where the Austrian manufacturer stands in its pursuit of MotoGP glory. By the time Sunday's chequered flag fell, many of their comments had been reflected in the results.
image courtesy of MOTOGP
Acosta arrived in Hungary carrying growing expectations. Despite being viewed by many as a future world champion, he was quick to downplay the hype, adding "Being honest, I don't consider myself a title contender. We are still quite far away from the performance level of Ducati at the moment.”
At the same time, he acknowledged the progress KTM has made this season, stating "It's true that we're having good races and I'm much more consistent than last year. We're collecting really good points, but we're still missing performance compared to the other teams." The Spaniard instead focused on consistency and development.
"Compared to last season, we've made one of the biggest steps in the direction I wanted. I'm crashing less and performing much better." That progress was visible immediately at Balaton Park.
images courtesy of MOTOGP
KTM showed strong pace throughout practice, with Acosta among the frontrunners from Friday onwards. Qualifying only reinforced KTM's confidence, as Acosta secured a front-row start alongside Marc Márquez. Binder, meanwhile, arrived at a circuit he believed would suit the KTM package, claiming that "the circuit suits our bike's riding style, especially with the heavy braking zones, short accelerations, and tighter corners."
He pointed to braking as one of KTM's greatest strengths, going on to say, "our strongest points are clearly braking performance and top speed. Those are areas where we can gain time on our competitors."
The Sprint race provided another demonstration of KTM's competitiveness. Acosta finished second behind Márquez after once again showing the pace to fight at the front. It was another podium for the young Spaniard and further proof of his growing maturity. Reflecting on his development since arriving in MotoGP, Acosta explained:
“My first season in MotoGP, I was missing a lot of experience. Last year maybe I wanted too much. I started crashing and making many mistakes.”
image courtesy of KTM
Today, his approach is very different. "This season, I'm much calmer. I'm trying not to make the mistakes that happened so often last year," he says.
While Acosta continues to move forward, Binder remains focused on finding the final tenths that can bring him back into top results contention.
"Everything comes a lot easier the more natural it feels. The less you need to think about what you're doing, the easier it is to put in a good performance." Yet he laughed while admitting that simplicity alone has not solved everything. "I've tried that lately and I haven't gone much faster. I need to find another strategy to try and find that extra speed I'm looking for."
image courtesy of KTM
The Grand Prix itself delivered one of the stories of the weekend. Acosta again emerged as KTM's leading challenger, taking second place behind Márquez after another impressive ride. The result strengthened his position among the championship's leading riders and continued a season that has seen him become KTM's benchmark. His influence inside the team has also grown significantly.
“Since my first year in MotoGP with KTM, I’ve been helping develop the bike more or less in the direction that I wanted. We have many more points than we had at this stage last year, so I think we’re doing a great job.”
Yet perhaps the most revealing comments about Acosta came not from Acosta himself, but from his teammate. Binder spoke openly about the impact the young Spaniard has had on the entire project: "I'm really glad for KTM that Pedro is doing such an unbelievable job. He's super fast, very young, and thank goodness for him because he's keeping the whole team going." From Binder, there is genuine admiration, as he stated: "As much as MotoGP is an individual sport, it's incredibly important for the morale of the whole team to have good results. I'm glad someone is able to deliver those right now."
image courtesy of KTM
While Acosta naturally attracts attention because of his age and potential, Binder remains one of the paddock's most respected figures. After seven seasons with KTM, his commitment to the project remains clear.
“There have been plenty of changes, but I think the core and the foundation of the team have stayed the same. We’re constantly searching for more speed and trying to get faster every weekend.”
Asked about the future, Binder was candid: "I haven't signed anything yet, so I don't know whether I'm staying here, going somewhere else, or what I'm doing." But he made one thing very clear. His passion for the sport remains unchanged, saying "I still feel like I have a lot to offer in MotoGP."
While Hungary provided another encouraging weekend for KTM, both riders were already thinking about what comes next. Acosta talks like a rider focused on growth: "I know my capacity, I know my potential, and I know what I can do. Now it's about improving the bike and taking another step forward to get closer to the other manufacturers." And despite the growing expectations surrounding him, he remains patient, concluding that "it's just a matter of time before we can fight for something bigger."
images courtesy of MOTOGP
Binder, meanwhile, pointed toward the significant changes waiting around the corner in MotoGP:
“With the regulation changes coming next year, the engine capacity changes and the new tyres, I think there will be a big shake-up. It will be interesting to see which manufacturers adapt best to the new compounds and how successful everyone’s development work has been.”
At Balaton Park, KTM left with another podium, encouraging pace, and more evidence that the project continues to move forward. As MotoGP prepares for a new era, KTM finds itself in a unique position: building around one of the sport's brightest young stars while still benefiting from the experience of a rider who has been central to the project from the beginning.
