Wenn das Motorrad perfekt funktioniert, können wir um den Sieg mitfahren.
KTM is striving to finally make the leap to the top. A "lucky win" in the rain would not advance the project, although Beirer would gladly accept it.
But he makes it clear: "We have to be strong enough in the dry to be able to win races on our own merit."
KTM is closer than it seems
The team from Mattighofen isn't missing much.
Pedro Acosta finished only 1.5 seconds behind Marc Marquez in second place in Aragon. In Misano, it was 2.3 seconds.
"If the bike works perfectly, we can compete for the win," says Beirer. But the window in which they have to operate for that is too small. They manage to hit this window on too few days.
Clear weakness
The KTM RC16 has a clear weakness, Beirer explains: "When we release the front brake in the corner, we need a fraction longer to turn the bike."
In the development of the new 850cc bikes for 2027, the big goal is to find this final puzzle piece in aerodynamics and chassis to make it easier for the riders in corners.
Beirer emphasizes: "Our bike needs to be easier to ride. We have to work on that so that riders have a buffer even on bad days. We currently don't have that."
Engine woes slow KTM down
Over the summer, however, the engine caused major concerns.
The engine is consistently one of KTM's greatest strengths, but a defective part not only cost reliability but especially valuable development time. "In ten years, we've never had such a problem," Beirer stresses.
Since each rider only has eight engines available for an entire season, all of which are sealed, completely new engines had to be built for troubleshooting.
Das hat ein Riesenloch in unsere Saison gerissen, weil wir einige Ausfälle hatten.
Once the faulty component – presumably a component from an external supplier – was found, approval from the rest of the MotoGP teams still had to be obtained for the repair.
Working on the engine during the season is prohibited.
Failures create a hole in the season
After initial resistance, the other MotoGP teams finally agreed to the revision.
How dangerous a suddenly failing engine can be was demonstrated in Barcelona. Alex Marquez crashed into the rear of Pedro Acosta, whose KTM had suddenly switched off, and suffered serious injuries.
Under the supervision of an official, the defective parts could then be replaced. Beirer grits his teeth: "That tore a huge hole in our season because we had several retirements. This also dampens motivation."
Tough season after dream start
Yet, motivation was at an absolute high at the start of the season.
Acosta took victory in the Sprint in the season opener in Thailand and finished second in the Grand Prix. This marked the first time a KTM rider led the Riders' World Championship.
A third-place finish in Austin followed, and according to Beirer, they would have consistently fought for victories until Barcelona. "But then the woes came. That's why the season has been very tough so far."
Chance for a home win in Spielberg?
In Spielberg, however, the positive trend of the last race weekends is to be continued. Beirer is confident that this can be achieved.
"We have a strong engine, and we are brutally strong on the brakes. And the Red Bull Ring is a track where you can gain a lot of time on the brakes. The track suits us well, we don't want to make excuses."
Pol Espargaro even believes Acosta can achieve a home victory. "With the motivation of the home Grand Prix and the spectators, it's possible," Beirer also believes in the chance.
At the same time, the German says: "I want to be very careful with the word 'victory.' Right now, I prefer that we can - and must - get on the podium. That is the performance level we truly have."
Acosta makes the difference
Acosta, however, could make the difference this weekend, as he has throughout the entire season.
Er ist echt verdammt gut und aktuell sicher einer der besten Fahrer in der gesamten MotoGP.
The 22-year-old Spaniard is miles ahead of his KTM teammates in the World Championship, with over 100 points lead over Enea Bastianini and Brad Binder.
"He's really damn good and currently certainly one of the best riders in all of MotoGP," Beirer praises his protégé.
What does he do better than the others? "He is determined, radical, and squeezes the maximum out of this bike. He rides lines that the others can't even ride. He is an exceptional rider."
The second spearhead is missing
The Motorsport Director also emphasizes that he is "absolutely not satisfied" with the performance of the other three riders. With Vinales, there would have been another rider alongside Acosta who would have performed "extremely well," especially in 2025.
Damit ist uns der zweite Pilot, der an das Bike geglaubt hat, damit zufrieden war und sehr schnell fahren konnte, weggebrochen.
However, "Top Gun" has been injured since a serious crash last year at the Sachsenring and has not been able to return to his old performance in several comeback attempts.
Beirer regrets: "With that, we lost the second rider who believed in the bike, was satisfied with it, and could ride very fast. That further weakened us."
Thus, Acosta is the biggest hope for a KTM home victory. For him, this would come full circle, as the young star himself said. It would also be his first MotoGP success – just a few months before his departure to Ducati.
