KTM riders may regain 500rpm at Misano
KTM's MotoGP riders could have 500rpm restored to their engines for the Misano round after a performance cut due to a fault.
KTM MotoGP riders could regain 500rpm for their engines at the upcoming Misano Grand Prix. This follows a reduction imposed after an unspecified manufacturing fault was discovered in the RC16 power units.
According to a report from Crash.net, the Aragon round passed without obvious reliability issues after KTM was permitted to replace faulty internal parts. However, speculation suggests the bikes were still not back to their normal performance level. It is thought the team may have wanted to confirm the repairs worked at Aragon before raising the rev limit.
Test rider Pol Espargaro, who raced at Aragon replacing Maverick Vinales, addressed the rumours. He explained that restoring the revs would aid much more than outright top speed.
Impact on Gearing and Acceleration
Espargaro detailed how a rev limit change forces gearbox adjustments. The lost 500rpm can cause the engine to hit its limiter too early, compromising acceleration onto straights and the run to the next corner. Restoring the revs would allow engineers to optimise gear ratios across the entire circuit. He highlighted Misano as a particularly grippy track where extra acceleration from higher revs would be a significant benefit.
Despite Pedro Acosta's podium finish at Aragon, the team has endured seven rounds of restricted performance if the cut was applied after Acosta's Catalunya failure. Brad Binder's RC16 was again the fastest machine on the Aragon back straight, hitting 352.9 km/h this year compared to 356.4 km/h in 2025. Top speed figures, however, can be influenced by aerodynamics, slipstreams and wind direction.
Engine Allocation Consequences
The engine issue has also impacted the riders' allocation of their permitted units for the season. The latest MotoGP engine list shows Brad Binder is in the most precarious position.
| Rider | Team | Engines Used (of permitted) | Engines Withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 6/9 | 3 |
| Toprak Razgatlioglu | RNF MotoGP Team | 6/11 | 3 |
| Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 6/9 | 2 |
| Jorge Martin | Aprilia Racing | 6/9 | 0 |
| Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | 6/9 | 0 |
| Enea Bastianini | Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing | 5/9 | 2 |
| Maverick Vinales | Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing | 4/9 | 0 |
Binder has already opened six of his nine engines and withdrawn three from use. Toprak Razgatlioglu has also withdrawn three engines, but Yamaha's concession status gives him eleven for the season. Pedro Acosta has lost his two most recent engines. As a replacement rider, Pol Espargaro used Maverick Vinales's engine allocation during his stand-in appearances.
Historical Precedent with Yamaha
The last similar reliability case involved Yamaha in 2020. Yamaha initially sought permission to correct faulty valves but later withdrew the request. An investigation revealed the race engines used valves from a different supplier than those in the homologated sample engine, a breach of rules requiring identical parts.
Yamaha's then managing director Lin Jarvis called it an innocent misjudgement. The different batch of valves also had a weakness, leading to failures. The manufacturer was docked constructors' and teams' championship points. Joan Mir won the 2020 title for Suzuki ahead of Petronas Yamaha's Franco Morbidelli. Fabio Quartararo, who won the opening two races, finished eighth in the standings.
KTM, like Ducati and Aprilia, has had its engine specification frozen since the start of the 2025 season. The team now awaits a potential performance restoration at the Misano circuit.
