Pedro Acosta has pointed out a key area, which was once the Austrian brand’s strength, that is now KTM’s MotoGP weakness in comparison to the championship’s leading manufacturers.

KTM is still the manufacturer with the top speed record in MotoGP, set at 366kph, or 227mph, at Mugello in 2023 by Brad Binder.

Therefore, in the straight-line-dominated first sector at the Buriram International Circuit that hosted the 2026 season-opening Thai Grand Prix, you could assume that the KTM’s would be strong. 

But the reality was different, at least for Acosta, who was overtaken on multiple occasions on the run to turn four across the Sprint and grand prix. 

The Spaniard admitted afterwards that it seems KTM is down on top speed in 2026, the final year of the 1,000cc era of MotoGP.

“At the end, we know that it looks this year like our top speed is not great compared Ducati and Aprilia, and I’m struggling a lot in the first two sectors of the [Buriram] track,” Acosta told the post-race press conference after finishing second in the Thai Grand Prix.

The Spaniard added that he was able to make up for the time he lost in the stop-start first part of the lap in the more technical final sector, which includes the final corner that he was so effective in versus Marc Marquez in the Thai Sprint.

“It’s true that then since I come to Thailand, even in the other categories, I was having a fast sector four, and this was the only place that I was able to overtake because then you have this last braking point and it was my only card in the pocket that I was able to use,” Acosta said.

“I was just trying to maintain the [gap] and then trying to attack there.”

Acosta ended the Thailand weekend as the championship leader, becoming the first KTM rider to lead the MotoGP World Championship since the Austrian manufacturer entered the class in 2017. He holds a seven-point lead over Thai Grand Prix winner Marco Bezzecchi ahead of round two in Brazil on 20–22 March.