Could Acosta get a Verstappen-like mid-season promotion to KTM in MotoGP 2024?

The 2016 F1 season had started with Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo driving for the main Red Bull team, with Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, both directly contracted to the energy drinks giant, occupying the two seats at Toro Rosso.

But ahead of the fifth round of the season in Barcelona, Red Bull took a bold decision to instigate a driver swap, promoting Verstappen to its primary team at the cost of Kvyat, who was shuffled down to Toro Rosso.

The sudden change in the two line-ups attracted criticism from some quarters, but Red Bull’s decision was vindicated when Verstappen capitalised on a collision between Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to score a sensational victory in his first race with the outfit.

Could history repeat itself? There are certainly some comparisons to draw between that situation and what the Red Bull-sponsored KTM operation faces in MotoGP this year.

Like Red Bull, it has another rising star plying his trade at the secondary GasGas Tech3 team. And much like eight years ago, demoting another rider in its stable for him would attract some backlash from both those within and outside the KTM family.

Acota finished ninth on his debut in Qatar, before scoring an incredible podium finish in his second race weekend in Portugal. He then claimed second in the Americas GP earlier this month, only beaten by runaway winner Maverick Vinales on the Aprilia. He has been rapid in sprint races too, claiming eighth, seventh and fourth in his first three appearances. 

Thus, in the six races he has competed in so far, including three sprints, he has finished ahead of Binder four times and beaten Miller on five occasions. 

In the overall standings, Acosta is already the top rider from the two KTM teams in fourth place, two spots ahead of Binder and six positions clear of Miller. 

The progress Acosta has made in these three events is also astounding. Since the Qatar round, where Binder scored two second-place finishes, the Spaniard has never been beaten by the KTM talisman – and that has begun to mount pressure on the South African.

Acosta’s results are also…