Pedro Acosta finished sixth for KTM at Losail in the Qatar MotoGP, a result that did not reflect his potential because of tyre pressure miscalculations. Marco Bezzecchi won the race, according to KTM test rider and DAZN commentator Pol Espargaró.

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Espargaró, who stayed in close contact with the KTM pit crew throughout the event, revealed the root cause of Acosta’s compromised pace. “I was just talking with some of his mechanics, and they confirmed it was practically a tyre pressure issue. Yesterday, they started with quite conservative pressures, leaning towards higher values to avoid what happened today,” he explained.

The strategy backfired during Saturday’s sprint race when tyre pressures surged beyond expectations, leading to a disappointing outcome for Acosta.

KTM swung from one extreme to the other

Attempting to rectify the situation for Sunday’s main event, KTM reversed their approach and lowered the tyre pressures. However, this adjustment swung the pendulum too far the other way.

“Today, he was riding very well. They reduced the pressures to prevent yesterday’s problems, but it completely backfired: the front tyre pressure didn’t meet regulations, forcing him to yield positions,” Espargaró detailed. He summed up the predicament succinctly: “They went from one extreme to the other.”

Viñales’ deficit less severe than it looked

Meanwhile, Maverick Viñales endured a challenging weekend at a circuit normally favourable to his riding style. Finishing approximately 21 seconds behind Bezzecchi, Viñales’ deficit was less severe than it appeared on paper.

Espargaró offered a nuanced analysis: “When you start from the back, you lose about nine or ten seconds in the first two or three laps. After that, he lost around ten seconds over the remainder of the race, which equates to roughly half a second per lap behind the fastest rider, Marco Bezzecchi. That’s not bad.”

Viñales’ lap time inconsistency stemmed from his difficult starting position rather than outright pace. “He was only two or three tenths slower than riders ahead like Fermín Aldeguer or Johann Zarco early on. The problem was overtaking. When you start so far back, it’s very hard to pass, leading to fluctuations in lap times. He had some fast laps in the low 1:53s but also slower ones around 1:54.0 or 1:54.1 behind Morbidelli,” Espargaró elaborated.

“This inconsistency, I believe, was due to his poor grid position and the ensuing traffic.”

KTM’s tyre pressure blunder and Viñales’ uphill battle from the rear of the grid underscored the technical and tactical challenges faced by the factory team at Losail. Espargaró’s insider perspective shed light on these elements that shaped the race outcome for KTM’s riders. For more on the topic, read Acosta's view that KTM was not to blame for the tyre problem.