Acosta on his move to Ducati: “That’s exactly what I was looking for”

At Thursday’s press conference ahead of the Assen GP, Pedro Acosta was the centre of attention. The day before, Ducati had officially confirmed that the current KTM rider would be racing for the factory team alongside Marc Marquez in 2027 and 2028. “I’m really happy about this announcement,” said Acosta. “I think this was a goal I’d been aiming for in my career, perhaps the next step I wanted to take.” For the current season – his last with KTM, whose bikes he has been riding since 2019 – he still has one goal left to achieve: “That could be my first win.”

Zero points in Brno following technical glitches – a new low

From a sporting perspective, last weekend in Brno was one to forget for Acosta: two retirements due to technical problems cost him World Championship points. “It was hard for us to understand what was going on, because I had a different problem every day,” reported the Spaniard. The responsibility lies with the factory in Munderfing: “At the end of the day, there are things that are beyond my control. KTM now needs to understand what’s going on and try to find a solution as soon as possible.

However, he does not expect a quick fix to the problems. The aim is to get the best possible result out of the existing equipment – “and after the summer break, we’ll see where we stand.”

Acosta looked ahead to the upcoming race at Assen with mixed feelings. “I don’t have fond memories of the place because I’ve always had to fight hard there, ever since the lower categories,” he admitted. Last year was an exception: “But perhaps last year was the year I came closest to the podium. I really enjoyed the battle with Pecco. I was quite close to Marc and Bezzecchi’s group.”

Brno test: First impressions of the 850cc prototype

Although Acosta is leaving KTM at the end of the year, he was still able to catch a glimpse of the future after the Brno GP – he tested the new 850cc KTM prototype. “That’ll be interesting for us and for the fans too,” says Acosta, confident that the spectacle won’t be lost. He confirmed the comments made by the other test riders that the difference in performance compared to the current machine is noticeable: “It feels like a completely different class because our current engines are much more powerful.” Overall, the first impression was positive.

Acosta is looking forward to working with Marc Marquez in the future. “It’s an honour to share things with Marc,” he said. “He’s more or less at the end of his career, whilst I’m just getting started. That’s why it’s a good opportunity for me to learn from him and take something from his experience.” Acosta is particularly keen to draw on the seven-time MotoGP World Champion’s experience in race management and dealing with high-pressure situations: “He’s already won nine titles; he’s got plenty of experience. Perhaps he can share some of that with me.”