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Pedro Acosta labels KTM 'spectacular in the rain' as wet French GP looms
TL;DR
Pedro Acosta praised KTM's RC16 as 'spectacular in the rain' ahead of the French GP, where wet conditions are expected. The forecast indicates a repeat of last year's wet race, with rain likely on Saturday as well.
Key points
- Pedro Acosta praises KTM's RC16 for wet conditions
- French GP expected to have rain on Saturday and Sunday
- Acosta believes rain enhances bike performance
- Le Mans hosts the upcoming French Grand Prix
Mentioned in this story
Le Mans
Pedro AcostaKTMFrench Grand Prix
Motorsport photo
KTM's leading MotoGP factory rider Pedro Acosta has told media his RC16 is "spectacular in the rain" ahead of a French Grand Prix that has a literal cloud hanging over it.
"In the rain, this bike is spectacular," Acosta declared in his native Spanish on Thursday at Le Mans. "It's the best conditions [for] the bike, in the water."
That bodes well given the weather forecast in that part of France, which suggests not only a repeat of last year's wet Sunday race but also a partially wet Saturday.
But while rain may be Acosta's best chance of breaking his grand prix victory duck, both KTM factory riders were optimistic that the Austrian marque would be more competitive in the dry than it has been so far this season.
Acosta and his team-mate Brad Binder pointed to progress made at the Jerez test that followed the last round of the championship in Spain. They will be looking for a dry Friday in order to confirm the apparent step in a comparable situation.
"I'm quite excited to get started here," said Binder. "After the test in Jerez we found some things that felt a little bit better. So [it will be] pretty cool to see if it works well here."
Binder missed a golden opportunity to win the sprint last time out at Jerez, when he crashed out of the effective lead after the rain came down. But while rain has been a factor in some of his previous successes, he reiterated that he wouldn't be relying on that in France following the latest updates.
"I'm not worried about what the conditions throw at us," said the South African. "I think we can do a good job either way.
"One area we improved was a little bit more just the calmness of the bike, especially on throttle. We could keep the grip a little bit better and, yeah, we did something to be a little bit cleaner in the braking areas. So I still wasn't able to go super fast with it, but yeah, it felt better.
"So yeah, [I'm] quietly confident for this weekend and hopefully we can have a good one."
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Q&A
What did Pedro Acosta say about KTM's performance in the rain?
Pedro Acosta described KTM's RC16 as 'spectacular in the rain,' indicating it performs best in wet conditions.
What is the weather forecast for the French Grand Prix?
The weather forecast suggests a repeat of last year's wet race, with rain expected on both Sunday and Saturday.
Where is the French Grand Prix taking place?
The French Grand Prix is taking place at Le Mans.
How did KTM perform in wet conditions during previous races?
KTM has shown strong performance in wet conditions, as indicated by Acosta's comments and past race results.
