KTM's 2026 MotoGP season has not gone the way that it would have hoped it would. The team has suffered numerous issues, ranging from injured riders, ongoing financial issues hovering over its head, a will-they, won't-they back-and-forth with Pedro Acosta, who's now going to Ducati, and most importantly, an engine that doesn't seem to want to work.
The latter has been the subject of ongoing discussion, as while KTM has petitioned MotoGP to break the rule of not being allowed to open up its pre-season sealed engines to see what's going on, the team's rivals have adamantly told them, "Absolutely not."The conceit behind the sealed engine rule is one that makes sense, as if teams are allowed to change parts, it could give them a further lasting advantage and start up an arms race that costs teams millions, and put other less well-funded teams at a disadvantage.
