KTM Seeks Special Engine Access Amid Safety Concerns

KTM’s motorsport director Pit Beirer has confirmed internal issues with the RC16 MotoGP engine, urging rivals to grant special permission to investigate performance problems. A spate of reliability failures this season – including Alex Marquez’s high-speed collision with Pedro Acosta when his bike shut down unexpectedly during the Barcelona race – has escalated concerns about both technical safety and competitor cooperation.

The manufacturer’s consistent mechanical failures have raised safety alarms not only for its riders but also for competitors riding in the RC16’s slipstream. While MotoGP’s engine freeze regulations prevent KTM from opening its sealed units, Beirer argues the summer break provides a critical window to address unspecified issues affecting the powerplant. “We have to solve this problem, and we need to use the summer break for a thorough investigation,” Beirer stated during discussions at the Sachsenring circuit.

Desperate to bypass homologation restrictions, KTM has attempted to secure unanimous agreement from all manufacturers for temporary engine access. According to Motorsport.com sources, only Aprilia has so far supported the request. Thirteen-time world champion Valentino Rossi’s current Suzuki team and title rivals Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha remain opposed, wary of any potential technical advantage despite KTM’s transparency requirements through IRTA’s reference engine protocol.

A rare precedent exists for such exceptions: in 2020, Yamaha received special dispensation after discovering supplier-provided valve dimensions had changed slightly, compromising valve clearance. However, in KTM’s case, the exact fault remains unidentified, complicating justifications for bypassing standard procedures. With the championship neck-and-neck this season, rival factories appear particularly resistant to measures that could disrupt the current technical balance, especially given the strict engine allocation rules that limit engine changes throughout the campaign.

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