KTM faces tough start to 2025 MotoGP season as rivals surge

KTM faces early-season challenges in Thailand, raising concerns over its competitiveness.

Pedro Acosta of Spain and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing prepares to start on the grid during the MotoGP race at the MotoGP of Thailand at Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, on March 2, 2025. Photo by Mirco Lazzari/Getty Images

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

The 2025 MotoGP season opener in Thailand provided reasons for optimism for most manufacturers, but KTM found little to celebrate. Ducati once again asserted its dominance, Aprilia showcased impressive gains, Honda displayed its best competitiveness in years, and even Yamaha saw signs of progress with newcomer Jack Miller. For KTM, however, the biggest relief from the Thai Grand Prix weekend was that it was over.

While one round does not define an entire season, the early signs are concerning. In 2020, Suzuki failed to score in the opening race yet went on to claim the riders' and teams' titles. However, that season was shortened due to COVID-19, whereas the 2025 campaign is a full-length championship.

More importantly, 2020 was the last time KTM made a significant step forward with its RC16, proving its competitiveness across multiple races and circuits. That year, the bike showed the potential to be a championship-winning machine with the right rider. Since then, while KTM has remained competitive, it has never taken that next crucial step to challenge for titles. The start of 2025 suggests that trend continues.

Acosta’s crash highlights KTM’s struggles

KTM’s best chance for a strong result in Thailand rested with Pedro Acosta, the fastest KTM rider throughout the weekend. However, his hopes were dashed early in the race when he crashed, attributing the incident to the bike’s instability.

"The only way to not unload the rear is to brake softer," Acosta explained. "But that doesn't really work for my lap times. It means it's not quite OK to go fast."

Despite his crash, Acosta maintained that his pace afterward was promising, suggesting he could have finished in the top five. However, the race data did not fully support his claim. He was 29 seconds behind after the crash and ultimately finished 42 seconds adrift, overtaking only Aprilia tester Lorenzo Savadori. Even making generous assumptions, that pace would still have placed him well behind Aprilia rookie Ai Ogura.

KTM’s struggles were not limited to Acosta. Brad Binder, who finished eighth, was 20 seconds behind the race winner—despite finishing just six seconds off the winner at Buriram last year and only a tenth behind in 2023.

Tyre issues compound KTM’s problems

Acosta also pointed to significant tyre issues throughout the weekend, an area where KTM appeared particularly vulnerable.

"All weekend, we were in quite a dramatic situation with tyre degradation," he admitted. "We need to understand why we had this issue, because it was not normal."

Binder echoed those concerns:

"I had to be extremely soft on the rear tyre because it was easy to wear through to the carcass," he said. "I had to be so smooth and ride so softly on corner exits."

New KTM team boss Aki Ajo acknowledged the challenges after the race:

"We know we need to improve in these types of climates, but we also know that when it’s a bit cooler, we are competitive. We are learning, and in this way, I’m happy. Performance-wise, we have work to do."

Can KTM bounce back?

While the Thai GP was a disappointing outing, it may not be indicative of KTM’s entire season. More mileage with a stable bike and improved setup adjustments could yield better results as the season progresses. However, the reality is that KTM cannot afford such slow starts if it hopes to compete for championships.

Additionally, concerns remain about KTM’s overall financial situation. The company successfully avoided bankruptcy and has undergone a restructuring process, with assurances that its MotoGP program remains well-funded.

Binder stated before the weekend that the team is "very fortunate" to be "not really affected" by the financial turmoil. However, KTM’s lackluster performance in Thailand could raise doubts about whether the manufacturer has the resources to catch up to Ducati and Aprilia in 2025.

Regardless of financial considerations, KTM’s performance at Buriram was worrying. For a manufacturer with championship aspirations, the results were simply not good enough. The upcoming rounds will be critical in determining whether this was just an early-season misstep—or a sign of deeper issues that could derail KTM’s 2025 MotoGP campaign.