Acosta feels “relieved” after visiting KTM’s headquarters

Rising MotoGP star Pedro Acosta feels “relieved” after visiting the headquarters of beleaguered Austrian manufacturer KTM, according to his manager.

Acosta travelled to Mattighofen in Austria on Tuesday to understand how KTM’s dismal financial situation could have consequences for its MotoGP programme, now that he has become an integral part of its factory team.

Latest reports indicate that up to 800 KTM employees will lose their jobs by the end of the year, and those who will remain onboard will have to do without their December salaries, despite KTM promising to pay them on time.

The company declared bankruptcy several weeks ago and is in the middle of a major restructuring process, having accrued debts totalling 2.9 billion euro.

In such a difficult environment, Acosta and his agent met in situ with those responsible for KTM Factory Racing, including Pit Beirer, the most influential executive of its motorsport programme.

They insisted that any issues at KTM’s commercial division are separate from what happens on the sporting side, easing the worries for the Spaniard.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“Pedro and I had the opportunity to travel to Austria to see in person the real situation of the KTM project in MotoGP,” Valera told Motorsport.com. “Despite the delicate situation that the company is going through, the feeling is positive.

“We have been told at all times that racing is the essence of KTM, that they will continue working with the sole objective of winning the title.

“Pedro is committed to the project and feels more relieved and confident after the meeting.”

Before the visit, Valera had expressed his concern about the situation at KTM and the lack of communication in Motorsport Network‘s Por Orejas podcast.

“In May we signed a contract with a winning project, with a company that was generating tens of millions of profit and with a clear message that they were in a strong position to be able to fight against Ducati,” he said at that time.

“However, today this is not the case. Suddenly, in six months, everything has changed and we wonder what has happened. It is something that worries us and to deny the obvious would be absurd.”