KTM MotoGP technical bos🀅s Sebastian Risse is impressed - but not surprised - by rookie star Pedro Acosta’s early heroics in the premier class.

The form🧜er Moto3 and reigning Moto2 world champion has finished in the top 🐠three at the last three events, with grand prix podiums at Portimao and COTA followed by runner-up in the Jerez Sprint.

Currently riding an RC16 for the GASGAS-branded Tech3 team, tee♋nager Acosta ♔holds fourth in the world championship, as the top ‘KTM’ rider.

“Honestly,ꦡ I am not surprised but I am very, very impress🐠ed,” Risse told MotoGP.com

“In the other classes you could see how quick this guy is🅠 learning. How 🦩adaptive he is.

“But with other riders you have seen that changing in꧑to MotoGP is a different thing. It can go eit𝕴her way.

“Usually you have to ♐force a rookie to stay calm, to keep the bike set-up, not turn it upside-down, and to learn instead.

“Pedro is the opposite.𒁃 He is 🐎so content about the bike, and what he has.

“He is so eager to just get the m🔯aximum out of it, and to focus on what he can do, before reacting on the technical side. He is very calm and very confident.”

In 📖terms of what makes Acosta special on track, Risse reveal♒ed:

“He has a very unique style. He brakes very late. But very calm, very much under control. He stops the bike, he doesn’t need a bike that stop🥃s extremely well.

“Then, he has a unique sty✃le of how he is using his body 🌄to handle the bike to turn.

“These two aspects make him very unique.

“I am convinced he will fight for the title, but it is too early to discussꦍ when.

“We need to give him time. He needs to take hi🍒s time. And really get his full potential in this class. And I’m sure heꦇ will win.”

Casting his eye more broadly over the RC16 project, Risse feels they have “a 🐎very strong, or maybe꧒ even the strongest, engine at the moment”.

They have also “fixed the weak points” of last ꦅyear’s aero, but “kept the strong points."

Unlike Aprilia, KTM is yet to win a Sprint or Grand Prix race this𓂃 season.

But the constructors’ table has KTM second on🐼ly to Ducati, a ranking Risse agrees with.

“At th🔴e moment, it looks like we are the second strongest manufacturer.

"Our top rider is usually the first non-Ducati rider. But it means we ﷽have to find a step to really fight the top Ducatis,” he said.

“We knew, we expected, it would not be easy. Everyone is trying very hard. You have ups♒ and downs. 

"What is particular and characteristic about KTM is that we have very high ta꧋rgets. We will win. It’s a matter🎶 of time.”