Acosta left KTM to beat Marc Marquez on equal terms

Acosta's departure from KTM was never going to be stopped by money — he explicitly told the CEO that beating Marquez on the same machinery mattered more than any contract. That kind of motivation is rare enough that even the team he's leaving speaks about it with admiration rather than bitterness. The implicit dig at Jorge Martin for prioritising finances over competitive ambition adds a layer of internal MotoGP politics that the paddock will have noticed. KTM's willingness to let Acosta test their 850cc prototype and Neumeister's mention of a future reunion suggests the split is being managed as a pause, not a break.