Acosta: "I No Longer Have Time to Lose" on Leaving KTM for Ducati

Pedro Acosta has explained his decision to end his long association with KTM and move to Ducati, saying the main motivation is the desire to finally have a bike that can fight for the championship.

"Things happen this way. I already said when I signed my factory contract that the only thing I wanted was a bike to win the championship. It is clear this bike has not arrived yet," Acosta is quoted as saying.

He added that he no longer wants to waste time. Although he gained valuable experience at KTM, he felt Ducati represents the challenge his career needs.

During several inconsistent seasons, KTM has not managed to regularly fight against Ducati and Aprilia, and Acosta himself has not yet won a Sunday main race in MotoGP.

The news came as an unexpected blow to KTM, as the entire project had been built around the young Spanish talent. KTM motorsport boss Pit Beirer admitted the team had to accept that Acosta wanted to leave, given the long journey they shared: the Rookies Cup, Moto3 and Moto2 titles, a broken leg and a comeback.

"It was a moment that was honestly depressing, because we had never planned a replacement. We sort of put all our cards on him. But, as always, if one door closes, another opens," Beirer said.

Acosta, however, believes KTM will be in good hands next year with Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio. "They take Alex and the guy who is now Ducati number two. They will have good cards to play next year," he said.