KTM have💃 been praised for the lack of weaknesses to their bike, as demonstrated at the Portugu🤡ese MotoGP.

The manufacturer which entered🌃 2024 aiming to be Ducat🥃i’s biggest competitors, underlined the threat that they pose in Portimao.

Tech3 GASGAS’ Pedro Acosta was on the podium, ahead of factory duo Brad Bin🌱der and Jack Miller.

Although the Ducati GP24 remains the best bike in MotoGP (Pramac’s Jorge Martin won in Portimao ahead of factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini), ꧅KTM are making their pres🌃ence felt.

“I still think that KTM are, overall, in a good position,” broadcaster Simon Crafar repor❀ted from the paddock.

“There will be some🅠 tracks, like ꦑQatar, where they suffer. Maybe Thailand, with rear grip.

“But they’ve made a big step in a lot of areas.

🅷“Maybe, by the time we get to Th꧃ailand, they will have fixed that small weakness.

“They didn’t🔜 look to be a lot of weaknesses, at all.

“I know that KTM have some⛎ strengths with their machine to fight thꦗe opposition.”

Teenag𝓀e rookie Acosta has stolen the show this season so♚ far.

He became the third-youngest rookie to finish on a premier class podium in P𓃲ortimao, after a race where he overtook the two factory KTM riders plus Marc Marquez and F🌸rancesco Bagnaia.

“Two years ago he was ꧑stood on th꧟e podium with Remy Gardner, who had beaten him,” Crafar remembered.

“It was a gr🌳eat podium! In his rookie season in Moto2.

“But he was 🌟filthy. People gave him a hard time about not being happy with his first podium in Moto2.

“I went to his de🧸brief, and he was sayꦿing all the right things which his team had told him to say, I think.

“But he wasn’t happy. He was filthy. I loved it!

“Because he wants m⛄ore. I smiled and♓ went ‘that kid wants more’.

“He won’t be happy until he’s winning.

“It’s plain for everyone to see. He’s a winner.”

Acosta might yet prove to be the ace up KTM’s ✱sleeve.

They rejigged their rider line-up to accommodate him when he demanded the step up from Moto2, whi🎉ch he won last year, meaning ಞPol Espargaro was demoted from his race seat.

Acosta is alrea♋dy applying pressure for a factory KTM seat in 2025 when a rider merry🀅-go-round is anticipated.

But Binder is second in the MotoGP🌱 standings after two rounds, behind Pramac’s Martin.

And Miller - whose future was under intense scrutiny, particularly after a desperate 21st-placed finish at the season-opener ❀in Qatar - has restored confidence in his own aไbility after a strong Portimao round.