Acosta on Márquez: “It’s not for nothing that a corner here is named after him”

Following his trip to Le Mans, where he competed in a 24-hour kart race last weekend, MotoGP star Pedro Acosta travelled to Aragon for his home Grand Prix. The varied circuit suits the Spaniard well – in his most recent appearances there in 2024 and 2025, he finished 3rd, 3rd, 5th and 4th.

“It’s usually a good circuit for me and KTM,” confirmed Acosta. “In my rookie season, I secured two podium finishes here. We’ll get 100 per cent out of our package. Ultimately, it all comes down to how fast the Ducati and Aprilia will be here. At Silverstone, we saw that when four Aprilias are unbeatable, it’s difficult to think about a podium finish.”

At the Aragon circuit, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo) has been in a class of his own in the past – the Spaniard won the Grand Prix there in 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024 and 2025. In each of the last two years, the MotoGP World Champion has also won the sprint race. Will his future team-mate be unbeatable again this year? “Marc is the man to beat – even if he struggled at Silverstone. It’s not for nothing that a corner on this circuit is named after him,” smiled Acosta, referring to Turn 10. “But as I said before: ‘If Ducati is unbeatable here, then you’ll have five Ducatis at the front. If Aprilia is strong, all four will be at the front.’ It’s sometimes very difficult for us to close the gap on them. Anyway, it’s only a matter of time.”

KTM Tech3: Acosta believes Marini is a good choice

Ahead of the Aragon GP, KTM overhauled the RC16 engines in Munderfing with MotoGP’s permission – faulty mechanical components from a supplier that affected performance were replaced. Will Acosta and the other KTM riders have more power at their disposal this weekend? “I don’t think so, but I’m not really bothered,” the 22-year-old shrugged. “We have the same power available as we had here last year and also in the last few races. If there’s more power, that’s good, but it’s not up to me. I always give it everything I’ve got.”

Pedro Acosta will leave KTM at the end of 2026 and ride for Ducati’s factory team in 2027. It was announced this week that Luca Marini will be racing for Tech3 next year. Is the Italian a good choice for KTM? “They’ve chosen him, so yes,” said Acosta. “When he was with VR46, he secured pole positions, and he had some good races with Honda. He’s also very consistent and a good development rider. I think KTM will have a strong line-up.”

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MotoGP World Championship

28.08.2026 - 08:55