Pedro Acosta delivered a standout performance during Friday practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the KTM rider remains puzzled by the dramatic fluctuations in form that have defined his recent MotoGP campaign.
The Spaniard topped the timesheets at Balaton Park, finishing comfortably ahead of VR46 Ducati rider Fabio di Giannantonio and establishing himself as one of the early favourites for the weekend. However, Acosta's impressive pace came just one week after a difficult outing at Mugello, leaving him searching for explanations.
Acosta admitted that understanding KTM's inconsistent performances has become one of the team's biggest challenges.
"It's quite strange for us to understand why I was competitive in Barcelona, really slow in Mugello and again competitive here," he said.
The rookie star believes the characteristics of Balaton Park may have played a significant role in KTM's improved performance. Unlike Mugello, where long straights and top speed are crucial, the Hungarian circuit features a tighter layout that places greater emphasis on braking and cornering.
According to Acosta, the shorter straights have helped reduce one of KTM's biggest weaknesses.
"First of all, we are not struggling on the straights here. That is something that in Mugello I was struggling a lot with."
While the strong pace is encouraging, Acosta believes it may also make it harder to identify the underlying causes behind KTM's inconsistent form. The team is still working to understand why performance levels can vary so dramatically from one circuit to another.
Despite leading Friday's running, Acosta is keeping his expectations in check. He pointed to Ducati and Aprilia as the benchmark manufacturers heading into the remainder of the weekend and stopped short of talking about a potential victory challenge.
"I'm not in a position to think about winning, because the difference between today and last weekend is huge," he said.
The KTM rider also highlighted the threat posed by Marc Marquez, particularly after observing the Ducati rider's strong pace on medium tyres during practice. Acosta believes tyre performance could become a decisive factor as the weekend progresses.
For now, Friday's result offers an encouraging sign for KTM, but Acosta knows the bigger challenge lies in turning flashes of speed into consistent competitiveness across the entire season.
