KTM find themselves in a "luxury problem", according to Motorsport Director Pit Beirer. On the one side, they have arguably the most exciting talent the sport has seen since Marc Marquez, Red Bull KTM Ajo's Pedro Acosta, wanting to move up to the premier class next season. On the other, the reigning Moto2™ World Champion, Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), putting in some commendable performances in his rookie year in the midst of the most competitive era the sport has ever seen.
Add to that the fact that KTM would no doubt like to avoid the backlash that sacking two intermediate class World Champions in back-to-back seasons after just one year on the bike would cause, and you can understand why Beirer is asking Acosta to "trust us" and stay in Moto2™ for one more season.
However, for the first time over the Italian Grand Prix weekend, both Acosta and KTM's hierarchy confirmed that the Spaniard is intent on moving to the premier class next year. That's a major shift from his comments one month ago when the 19-year-old said he'd accept a third season in Moto2™ if that's what the Austrian factory asked of him.
All of the above now means the situation currently looks like this: as confirmed by Acosta himself, KTM have until Friday June 30th to present him with a 2024 MotoGP™ proposal. If KTM fails to do so, Acosta is then free to listen to offers from other MotoGP™ manufacturers.
Speaking to MotoGP.com's Jack Appleyard over the weekend, Beirer said: "Looks like we have a situation that he is, of course, coming up and that he is a very outstanding rider. My request or wish is that he goes for another Moto2™ season. I know that he's not very motivated to do that, but he's also still very young. I mean if you look at what Dani Pedrosa did at 37 years old in Jerez, then you look at Pedro's age, he still has a lot of time, no rush to move to MotoGP™.
"I think he should trust us, all the experts we have in the group and the family, to make a great plan for his future. Aki Ajo is heavily involved, we talk on a daily basis and I'm sure we'll find a solution. We also have 4 fantastic riders in our line up so it's kind of a luxury problem for us, but it's not the easiest situation because we have four riders that we love, so we'll see what the future will bring."
Meanwhile, Acosta had this to say on Sunday night following his third win of the season: "It's true that at the end of the month is the deadline. Like I've always said, my preference is KTM. I have to wait for their decision. I'm thinking about all of the options. It's true that the one to stay in Moto2™ is not my preferred one, but I am open to everything. Maybe, at the moment, KTM is not the strongest as we saw 5 Ducati bikes in the top five in the Sprint. We have to give them one or two years more, but then they'll be hard to beat."
With Brad Binder, Jack Miller and Pol Espargaro all holding two-year deals with the Austrian marque, it's down to Acosta vs Fernandez for the final 2024 seat at KTM. And, should KTM decide to remain with Fernandez, asking Acosta to remain in Moto2™ for another year as a result, will we see the likes of Ducati, Aprilia, Honda or Yamaha swooping in and trying to steal the generational talent?