KTM turned the RC16 around overnight before Acosta’s podium

On Saturday evening, Pedro Acosta called the gap to Ducati and Aprilia “terrifying” and said he could not brake the KTM the way he wanted. The team then changed several RC16 settings overnight and validated the new direction in Sunday warm-up.

The changes did not suddenly make KTM the benchmark, but they improved the bike enough for Acosta to fight Ducati and Aprilia and finish third. The rider has stressed the work done between the two days rather than any miracle new part. That is exactly what KTM has been searching for this season: the ability to fix a poor Saturday without waiting for a new technical package.