KTM has already announced Pedro Acosta as a rider for GasGas Tech3 in MotoGP in 2024, but rumors continue to circulate about his possible promotion to the premier class with the Red Bull KTM team.
According to SPEEDWEEK.com, the possibility of the Spanish rider moving directly to the factory team may not be entirely ruled out. If this were to happen, Jack Miller would move to GasGas Tech3. Given Acosta’s strong results in Moto2, the German publication questions: ‘Will the Pierer Group stick to the plan and continue with [Brad] Binder and Miller at Red Bull KTM? Or could Pedro Acosta be transferred to the KTM Factory Team instead of Miller?’.
Pit Beirer, KTM’s Motorsports Director, appears to deny this possibility, stating: ‘Miller is planned for KTM, and Acosta for GasGas’.
Despite these statements, it wouldn’t be the first time KTM promoted a rider directly from Moto2 to their factory team, as was the case with Brad Binder in 2020. The Austrian team is well aware of Acosta’s talent and potential, so much so that the Director, Hubert Trunkenpolz, referred to him as the ‘new Marc Márquez’ this summer.
For now, any scenario that puts Acosta in Red Bull KTM and Miller in GasGas Tech3 in 2024 remains pure speculation. However, given that the Australian rider has struggled to meet expectations in his first season, and Acosta is seen as a precious talent for the future, such a swap would not be entirely out of the question, despite the official announcements already made.