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KTM Blames Kerb-Triggered Sensor for Pedro Acosta’s Assen Stoppages

KTM says the sensor put the RC16 into an emergency safety mode and the team will use temporary mitigations until a planned fix at the German Grand Prix.

Overview

  • KTM team boss Aki Ajo said a sensor triggered when Acosta ran over kerbs on Saturday, which put the bike into an emergency mode and caused two stoppages that cut his morning running.
  • The stoppages left Acosta under-prepared for the Sprint and limited his laps on Saturday, a shortfall he said contributed to mistakes and a ninth-place Sprint finish.
  • Acosta described the fault as new and said a simple apology is not enough because a stuck throttle is a safety issue that must be fixed to stop it recurring.
  • Reports from the weekend say KTM has been running engines down and applying temporary measures while engineers chase a substantive technical fix expected around the German Grand Prix next month.
  • The Assen sensor problem joins a string of RC16 reliability troubles dating back to the Catalan and Czech rounds, creating performance losses, safety concerns and a threat to KTM’s season targets.