MotoGP
6 things you should know about newly minted Moto2 champion Pedro Acosta
There’s no longer any secrets surrounding the speed of freshly crowned Moto2 World Champion Pedro Acosta on the track, but there's still plenty more to know about him.
Pedro Acosta is moving up to the top class while wearing the Moto2 crown on his head. There’s no doubt that the rider from Spain’s Mediterranean coastline has earned his shot at the big time. Just three years into his World Championship career he already has two titles. In 2021 he won the Moto3 title aged just 19. Two years later he has wrapped up the Moto2 title early thanks to seven race wins and a total of 14 podium finishes at the 18 races so far.
Acosta has wasted no time in demonstrating the natural skill and ability required to step up to MotoGP™. Since winning the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2020 he’s catapulted himself into a premier class saddle for 2024 with GasGas Factory Racing Tech3.
Impossible to ignore
© Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
Acosta is a feared rival on the circuit, but also a close friend to many of his fellow riders. Let’s not forget that he's still a teenager! The Spaniard is yet to lose any of that infectious enthusiasm that has helped build his reputation alongside his fearless racing style. Detailed below is what makes Acosta the unique character he is both on and off the track.
01
He stays connected to his roots
Another finish line
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The son of a fisherman from Mazarrón in the Spanish region of Murcia, his helmet design incorporates a shark also featured on his father's boat. “My father made me a logo when I started, and that's the one I wear. He also made me a name that I wear on my suit. Some people say it's ugly… but my dad made it for me when I was six. So what do you want me to do? Change it now? No, it's still going to be there, whether it's pretty or not.”
02
He's been fighting since the beginning
Always ready to battle
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Very few working-class riders go on to make it when hundreds of thousands of Euros in sponsorship are required each year to compete at just 14 years old, but Acosta's work ethic stemming from his lack of economic privilege is perhaps his greatest strength when it comes to his riding ability. "I don't think it's talent because I know riders who don't train at all and go fast," he says. "I think I have some points where I can be faster, or that I can do more easily than other drivers. I can brake later with ease from the start, I can also get the most out of the tyres shortly after the start and perform at my best in the corners."
03
He's willing to step out of his comfort zone
The helmet of a world champion
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Always willing to step out of his comfort zone, Acosta finds his strength in "doing things when I don't want to do them." He explains: "If it's raining, if it's windy, if I don't feel like riding, I go and ride. Or something silly, like a cold shower in winter. All these things make you stronger in the end, because your body and mind don't want to do it, but you have to do it. For your own good."
04
Conor McGregor and Ilia Topuria are his references
Unbeatable on the corners
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Although he already has two world titles to his credit, Acosta is aware that the best athletes in the world have that perfect blend of talent and self-confidence. It's a mix that can be seen in UFC stars like Conor McGregor and Ilia Topuria, both of whom Acosta loves to watch. "At the moment I'm not at their same level of mentality, but every year I'm getting better, more prepared and focused. I know more when not to be focused, to be focused at the right time.”
05
He knows how to keep his feet on the ground
Sometimes you just have to put your foot down
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Acosta is the second youngest World Champion in the Moto3 class, and he was just one day short of being the youngest. In 2022 he became the youngest winner of a Moto2 race, snatching the title from eight-time World Champion Marc Márquez. With so much success so quickly, you can lose your head. Acosta's natural inclination, however, is to be accountable to himself and stay focused on the task at hand. "If I want to be something great in this paddock, I can't leave. Because I'm going to lose my way... I'm in a bit of a bunker here," he says. "Nobody bothers me… everyone knows each other, I'm invisible, a normal person."
06
Half a dozen big hits
Something special in India
© Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
Acosta has only been involved with the World Championship for three years, but there’s been already a lifetime of memories made on circuits around the world. There’s been two world titles, 16 race victories and 28 podiums in total. Here are half a dozen of Acosta's most memorable days so far…
- 2021 Grand Prix of Doha: Victory from the pitlane at his second ever Moto3 race
- 2021 Grande Prémio do Algarve: The first-ever rookie to be crowned Moto3 champion
- 2022 Gran Premio d'Italia: At 18 years and four days old, Acosta is the youngest-ever winner of a Moto2 race, beating the previous record set by Marc Márquez
- 2023 Grand Prix of the Americas: An intense final lap victory is secured by Acosta against his championship rival Tony Arbolino
- 2023 Grand Prix of India: Acosta underlines his supremacy by leading the first-ever Moto2 race in India from start to finish
- 2023 Grand Prix of Malaysia: The only race on this list that Acosta didn’t win, but second place was enough to claim the Moto2 title with two races of the season remaining