MotoGP | Acosta doesn’t believe Marquez in KTM: “In Ducati it’s a soap opera”

KTM announced on Saturday the renewal of its fastest, youngest, most promising rider and the one who, sooner or later, can take it to the next level: that of fighting for the world championship. Pedro Acosta celebrated in his own way, taking a podium in the Sprint and leaving all the other Austrian bikes behind, and confirmed that the new agreement is “for the next two years”, until the end of 2026.

This situation will allow him, even if it seemed that this was already the case, to face his short-term future with serenity and to follow the “soap opera” of the Ducati rider market with curiosity.

“I’m happy, yesterday they showed me the photo of when I signed my first contract to move to Moto3 in 2020, in Valencia, and I look like a child. Look how long it took me to get there and how quickly we got here where we are now. It’s homecoming, wearing orange again, it was one of the goals of the year if everything went the way we wanted and wanted. I’m happy to bring my whole team there and to see all the support there giving to be closer to the top. I think all their efforts and mine are paying off,” he summed up.

On a technical level, the change will not be too noticeable. “Not much will change, to be honest. Since the first race this year I’ve had the same bike as the officials, the same material and the same parts, so I don’t think much will change.”

While there are many who dream of Pedro joining Marc Marquez at KTM, the Spaniard knows he will team up with Brad Binder. “Yes, I will be with Brad, he has a contract (until 2026),” he said before the possibility was suggested to him by Marquez: “I don’t know, I don’t know, ask Pit (Beirer, KTM sporting director)”, he said. “I don’t know if that’s out of the question. In the end this Ducati story seems like a soap opera, every weekend we have a different answer, but nobody knows anything,” he joked.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m happy with the team that has given me this year, with everything it is giving me and with having moved to the official team to wear orange again”, as he did in Moto3 and Moto2 with the Ajo KTM team.

Acosta’s current happiness is reflected in the good work he is doing, so much so that he wants to continue with the same staff he now has at GasGas. “The whole team that Pierer Mobility gave me this year comes with me in the official team. In the end, as I always say, they are people in orange dressed in red. I am more than happy to have made the decision to go up with KTM, happy to continue with the decision to do another two years with them”, he closed the topic.

Returning to racing, Acosta took another Sprint podium in his debut year in MotoGP.

“We worked all weekend on the pace, but in Q2 there was a bit of confusion when Marc Marquez crashed, all the riders in front of me slowed down and this deprived us of a good qualifying. But we concentrated at the start of the Sprint and we managed to impose the pace we had,” he explained.

In view of Sunday’s race, “the phenomenon” wants to be more constant in the use of tires.

“What slowed us down a bit today were the unforeseen events. The start was very good, but I didn’t expect the front to move so much and for the brake pads to open. I decided to enter the first corner and then to go get it. Then with Binder the bike moved and I went along with him. As soon as I managed to pass him, I started to reduce the gap to Jorge Martin. So, if we focus on the start and we are in the top five (he starts 7th on the grid), the situation will be easier to manage”, summed up the Shark from Puerto de Mazarrón.