Why the impact of Acosta's MotoGP debut is bigger than his results

Pedro Acosta‘s ninth place finish in Qatar last Sunday does not reflect the rookie’s impact on the opening round of the MotoGP world championship or his future with KTM.

After a pre-season in which the spotlight was focused on Marc Marquez and his arrival at Gresini Ducati, the debut of reigning Moto2 world champion Pedro Acosta in MotoGP even managed to tip the media balance in his favour.

A creditable eighth place in Saturday’s sprint was eclipsed the following day at the start of the main race, in which Francesco Bagnaia put on a display of strength as Acosta put on a show, with a vigorous comeback that took him from 10th place on the first lap to fourth place by the 12th, after overtaking Marquez with a tremendous dive into the first corner.

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While the comparisons between Marquez and Acosta have been frequent since the latter made his debut in the world championship just three years ago, the parallels are even more pronounced after the Spaniard’s debut in MotoGP, in which he demonstrated a similar charisma to the one that Marquez displayed in that historic 2013 season.

“They are very similar. Marc arrived without any complexes and with the desire to take on the world, and that is what we have seen today in Pedro,” a key member of the Honda team in that first experience of the #93 rider admitted to Autosport on Sunday.

There is probably no better proof of that shamelessness than the fastest lap of the race – the second – that the GasGas youngster, just 19 years old, grabbed.

The tremendous level of demand for what was his first long race meant that Acosta was unable to finish with a bang. Afterwards, when speaking to journalists, the rider pointed out that it was his lack of experience that caused his tyres to degrade more than was ideal, making it impossible for him to keep up the pace he had set in the first half of the race.

Acosta fought with Marquez over fourth in the early part of the Qatar GP

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

However, just as and if not more important than that, was the sudden stiffness in his forearms, which appeared in the last six laps and which, irremediably, led to him lapping between one and 1.5 seconds slower per lap.

Little by little he was swallowed up by a field with much more experience than him, until he finished ninth, 11.5 seconds behind Bagnaia, as he attempted to loosen up his arms with flashy gestures.

“The position of the lever of the rear device, which was too far away and forced me to make a strange movement, probably played a part. The team changed it compared to the pre-season test. For Portimao, in two weeks’ time, I hope that they will adjust it more to my needs,” said the two-time world champion, who enjoyed himself in a way he hadn’t done for a long time.

Autosport understands that if KTM wants to keep Acosta beyond this season, it will have to put him on the RC16 currently owned by Jack Miller at the factory team in 2025

“I haven’t felt so comfortable and confident to overtake since I was in Moto3. And I did it in Moto2, but not with so much confidence that the bike was going to stop,” he added at Losail, where 11 years earlier the world watched Marquez make his debut in the premier class, taking the podium behind Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

The situation at that time had nothing to do with today, especially if we take into account that then the Japanese manufacturers that now fight at the bottom of the field reigned supreme. In that 2013 event, the first non-Japanese bike was the Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso, who finished seventh, more than 24 seconds behind the winner. Marquez, third, was six seconds behind Lorenzo, after a close duel with Rossi that produced moves as spectacular as some of the ones Acosta delivered on Sunday.

“That’s how you learn. Pedro’s attitude in his first grand prix in MotoGP was cheeky, like a champion. Soon he will be fighting for the podium and he will give us a scare in some races,” Marquez complimented him.

Acosta is guaranteed a factory team seat in 2025 if KTM wants to keep him

Photo by: GasGas Factory Racing

If we leave aside what was seen on the track, there are even more similarities between the six-time MotoGP champion and the man who is destined to inherit his hegemonic role in the medium term. Marquez was called upon to lead the Honda project in the same way that KTM has placed its hopes for the future in Acosta, who did not by chance inherit the group of engineers left by Pol Espargaro, almost all of whom come directly from the Austrian manufacturer’s staff.

In any case, the Spanish youngster’s time with Herve Poncharal’s team has an expiration date. In fact, Autosport understands that if KTM wants to keep him beyond this season, it will have to put him on the RC16 currently owned by Jack Miller, who is not under contract for next year, in 2025.

This is exactly what the group led by Stefan Pierer did to secure Acosta in 2024, and which led to the bizarre game of musical chairs, with three riders (Espargaro, Augusto Fernandez and Acosta) fighting for only two bikes. In this type of agreement, the company’s promotion notice must materialise before the summer break, which is when most of the grid is expected to be finalised.