Pedro Acosta genius “hard for the KTM factory team to swallow”

Not everyone within the KTM factory MotoGP team will be delighted by Pedro Acosta’s form, it has been suggested.

KTM reshuffled their riders and demoted Pol Espargaro to a test role when Moto2 prodigy Acosta demanded a step up into the premier class this year.

Riding for Tech3 GASGAS, Acosta has justified KTM’s decision with a series of stunning performances.

He is KTM’s fastest and most in-form rider.

“It will be hard for the KTM factory team to swallow, seeing Pedro on the podium twice,” Michael Laverty analysed on TNT Sports after the Americas MotoGP.

“Jack Miller had a good race but then went backwards.

“We know Brad Binder had a tough weekend. Maybe the broken toe hampered his performance.

“They’ve got an absolute superstar in Acosta.

“So, the GASGAS team and Herve Poncharal are absolutely loving it.

“You’ve got fast Aprilias, fast KTMs, fast GASGASs.

“We are still languishing in terms of fast Japanese bikes but we’ve got three Europeans lighting it up.”

Acosta became the third-youngest rider ever to finish on the MotoGP podium in Portimao then repeated the feat at the Circuit of the Americas.

Still just 19, it is his riding style coupled with his cheeky personality which has really caught the eye.

KTM have even been forced to deny that they will promote Acosta into their factory team during this season.

Pit Beirer, their motorsport director, has admitted that contractually the factory are able to swap riders between their two teams at any time.

But he denied that there are plans to demote either Binder or Miller in favour of Acosta.

Such a stunning mid-season move would resemble the Red Bull F1 team’s call to put a teenage Max Verstappen into their main car at the mid-way point of 2016.

Red Bull and KTM, of course, have clear links.

But, for now, they do not intend to replicate the F1 team’s decision which massively paid dividends.