KTM rider Pedro Acosta qualified fifth at the Indonesian Grand Prix on Friday, but his sprint race ended in disappointment after crashing from second position on Saturday. The Spanish rookie had climbed to second place behind Fermin Aldeguer, and he sat just 0.3 seconds off the lead before losing control at the end of the straight on lap three.
Acosta selected the hard front tire for the sprint, and he defended the choice despite the KTM's stability issues. He acknowledged the bike's limitations make crashes possible without aggressive riding, but he maintained confidence heading into Sunday's race. The 20-year-old noted the team performs better with hard tires and a full fuel tank in longer races.
The crash frustrated Acosta because he fell without pushing hard, but he refused to lose confidence after numerous falls throughout his career. He observed Aprilia's stability and Ducati's strength compared to KTM's unstable platform. The team will analyze sprint data to finalize tire selection and adjust the setup for the main race.
Acosta selected the hard front tire for the sprint, and he defended the choice despite the KTM's stability issues. He acknowledged the bike's limitations make crashes possible without aggressive riding, but he maintained confidence heading into Sunday's race. The 20-year-old noted the team performs better with hard tires and a full fuel tank in longer races.
The crash frustrated Acosta because he fell without pushing hard, but he refused to lose confidence after numerous falls throughout his career. He observed Aprilia's stability and Ducati's strength compared to KTM's unstable platform. The team will analyze sprint data to finalize tire selection and adjust the setup for the main race.
