Pedro Acosta has made a strong start to the new MotoGP season, with two podiums in three Grand Prix races despite it being his first year in the premier class. Currently in fourth place, he is the top KTM rider in the championship, even though he is part of the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 satellite team.
Could these results justify a move to the Red Bull KTM team during the season? Jack Miller has been below expectations since joining last year and is nearing the end of his contract, so the possibility might seem logical. However, it is not even being considered.
KTM Motorsport director Pit Beirer made that clear in an interview with Motorsport-Magazin.com: ‘Pedro’s performance is absolutely a strong point, but it is not an option for us‘.
The German clarified that contracts allow for such a change, but he does not want to make mid-season changes: ‘From a contractual point of view, there are no obstacles to changing anything because all four of our MotoGP riders have factory contracts. Therefore, they are not tied to a particular team. However, it is completely absurd to think about changes like that during the season‘.
Although not common, teams sometimes switch riders mid-season. Recent examples date back to 2021 when Maverick Viñales left Yamaha after the Austrian GP; or in 2019, when after the San Marino GP Johann Zarco ended his relationship… with KTM.
