Acosta warns Marquez: "I have no friends in the paddock

Pedro Acosta is chasing his first MotoGP victory. Despite not yet winning a Grand Prix, Ducati has long sensed his talent and decided to pair him with Marc Marquez in the factory box. It will take time to acclimate in the Red garage, but many are ready to bet on the “Shark of Mazarrón” as a worthy heir to #93.

The young rider, currently with KTM, will leave the Austrian team to join the Ducati Factory. The announcement of this move came just a few days after Marc Marquez renewed his contract with Borgo Panigale and the news of Pecco Bagnaia’s switch to Aprilia. He will arrive quietly, keeping a low profile, aware that he needs to learn certain dynamics before he can shine on his own.

Pedro Acosta stepped into MotoGP in the 2024 season, backed by a record that includes two world titles, in 2021 and 2023. He is still chasing his first win, but he knows well what it means to win a sprint race, having done so this year in Thailand. He will join a team where he’ll find a two-wheel legend like Marc Marquez, who has surpassed 100 career victories. He arrived at Ducati when Pecco was the leader, yet he managed to establish himself as the true “captain,” winning the MotoGP title in his first season in red. And this year he’s trying to do it again. Now Acosta will try to do the same.

Pedro knows he’s arriving at a place where there’s already a leader like Marc. That’s why he doesn’t expect to be the leader right away. “Marc knows everyone at the factory, I’ll need time to adapt to a fully Italian workshop after spending six years at KTM,” explained the 22-year-old from Murcia. Acosta certainly has character to spare and will find the right push to compete with his garage mate.

Pedro Acosta isn’t the kind of rider who obsessively seeks harmony in the paddock. While MotoGP in recent years has increasingly focused on friendly relationships among athletes, the Spaniard views this trend with some detachment. “Maybe I’m the black sheep of the family,” he says in an interview with Autosport. No masks or false moralizing. “We’re all here to chase the same dream, and it’s very hard to have a sincere relationship with someone who wants exactly the same thing you do.”

The dream of becoming world champion clashes with friendly relations among riders. Cynicism must prevail over feelings... “To fulfill his dream, an opponent would be capable of killing anyone, speaking in sporting terms,” continued Pedro Acosta. Therefore, the KTM rider admits without hesitation: “I’ve never had friends in the paddock.” A bold way of thinking that can help during race weekends. “In this way, I have no qualms about overtaking someone on track.”

In the past, motorcycle racing thrived on these duels... “There were great rivalries: Rossi against Biaggi, Crivillé against Doohan, Rossi against Marquez. They certainly weren’t easy relationships,” Acosta concluded. “Maybe that’s exactly the spicy ingredient missing in today’s MotoGP.” Words that suggest a potentially uneasy relationship with Marquez and that will surely add spice to the coming championships.

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