Pedro Acosta (KTM) on the World Championship battle: “Almost impossible, but still in the running!”

The MotoGP World Championship circus is gearing up for the much-discussed MotoGP weekend in Qatar, where riders will once again be competing for World Championship points under the floodlights at the Lusail International Circuit. “The journey here was fine; everything looks normal here,” noted Red Bull KTM star Pedro Acosta on Thursday.

“I can understand it – when you read through everything in the media, it can certainly make you feel anxious. But at the end of the day, we have to do what our contracts require,” Acosta emphasised. “We also have to be professional with regard to the championship, as well as the teams and manufacturers.”

In 2025, Pedro Acosta finished 8th in the main race in Doha – 14 seconds behind winner Marc Marquez. In the sprint, the 22-year-old from Murcia finished as low as 11th. The Spaniard recalled: “Back in 2024, I had the pace here in Doha, but I lacked the experience. I think Brad was in second place. Maverick was then very fast in 2025, whilst Brad and I were struggling. We’re still a bit short on pace; in Malaysia, we came up short in that respect.”

Acosta: “Fortunately, we’re still mathematically in the World Championship race”

Acosta is currently fourth in the overall standings. He is already 104 points behind championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati). “There are now three race weekends left to go. Fortunately, we’re still mathematically in the World Championship race – albeit a long way off and almost impossible, but still in it,” remarked the 22-year-old. “Realistically speaking, we’re still in the fight for third place – more so with Marco, as Jorge is already too far ahead. One thing is clear: I need to make up a lot of points, and I’d actually have to win more or less every race – and I think that’s impossible at the moment. But we’ll try to close the gap on Marco – that will be our goal from here on until the end of the season.”

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06.11.2026 - 10:55