Red Bull Motorsports
MotoGP
Will the genius of Pedro Acosta make him king of MotoGP™ in his debut year?
The MotoGP™ World Championship has not yet started, but many fans have Pedro Acosta among the favourites in his debut season. But the Spaniard is sending out a message of calm.
Pedro Acosta's genius has reached such extremes that even in the lower categories, he has eclipsed the feats of great and illustrious MotoGP™ riders. It seems impossible that a teenager but with a devastating talent and enviable maturity and intelligence at only 19 years old is our new messiah in the top category.
In addition to the speed he shows on the asphalt, he also exhibits impatience in his career trajectory because in just three years in the World Championship, he already has two world titles. With less than 48 hours to go until a new MotoGP™ season, Acosta shows us the reality, inside and out, of his new team, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3.
How have you adapted to the category and the new bike after the Sepang and Qatar tests?
Acosta learns the secrets of his MotoGP™ bike
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
What are those secrets you've had to deal with to get a good feeling on your GASGAS RC16?
Understanding the holeshot to get a good start, the setup of the bike for long distances in the race or knowing how the tyres and carbon discs work, which are something special in MotoGP™, are some examples of this adaptation. I may have focused my attention on very basic things, but I think that in the long run it will be very important to start my progression in the category.
I'm very happy with the people who have always believed in me and have accompanied me on this journey that I want to continue for many more years
Regarding the physical demands, have you also had to acclimatise to the more demanding category?
The truth is that we've worked a little bit of everything. I came to MotoGP™ with a thin body, and without much muscle mass, so many of my workouts have focused on gaining volume and weight without forgetting the cardio. It's very important to be fit for long races and those with a lot of heat such as those in Asia; certainly they can be the most suffering of the year.
Acosta starts a new journey in MotoGP™ with Red Bull GASGAS Tech3
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Your arrival in the top category has created a buzz, does that put extra pressure on you?
No pressure, no expectations... I think the worst thing is to create false expectations. We have been working very hard in the preseason tests, and so far, we have only scratched the surface. Until we're out on the track fighting for a position, we won't be able to analyse more. It's all very well comments coming from outside, but we have to be realistic and take it easy. MotoGP™ has changed a lot in the last 10 years. Technical advances and aerodynamics have turned these machines into real missiles, so it's important to keep your feet on the ground.
I ask for calm. Hopefully it will be a season that goes from less to more, learning and moving up the standings little by little
What would you say to all those who are already putting you among the fastest riders in MotoGP™ before the World Championship starts?
I ask for calm. Hopefully, it will be a season that goes from less to more, learning and moving up the standings little by little. We have to see how we start the first race and, from there, set realistic goals. It would be far-fetched to say that we are going to fight for the World Championship, but I would like us to be competitive at mid-season.
This will be your fourth year in the World Championship and you already have two titles (Moto3™ in 2021 and Moto2™ in 2023), but your career has not been as smooth as it seems...
The career I've had so far has been a dream. But it's also true that I have lived very hard moments, especially when I signed my first contract to race in Moto3™ and overnight I found myself on the street. Luckily, I have surrounded myself with a fantastic group of people throughout these three years and I have been able to get things going. There were times when things were very uphill and I even saw my career coming to a screeching halt. Faced with the impossibility of entering the World Championship, Red Bull and KTM gave me the opportunity to compete one more year in the Rookies Cup, something unusual, to remain active and to have another chance to race in the World Championship. I'm very happy with the people who have always believed in me and have accompanied me on this journey that I want to continue for many more years.
What did you learn from Moto2™ that is helping you in MotoGP™?
What I learned from Moto2™ is that you have to take it very calmly. It's no use stressing and doing everything in a hurry. If it has to come, it will come, whatever it is. Besides, I'm sure that the anxiety or the desire to want something with all your might is bad for you. It clouds you, you lose concentration, you make mistakes and in the end you suffer. My first year in Moto2™ was like that and this time I won't be caught off-guard.
The Spaniard will continue working until he cracks it
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
And finally, what will give you the edge this season?
The illusion and the desire to start this new chapter of my professional career. I'm very excited and I'm very encouraged to join the elite of motorcycling with a team, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, who believe in me and will give their all so that this journey we undertake together is full of rewards. We have a long road ahead of us, and there are many things to improve, but with peace of mind, we will be able to do great things together.
