Written by Silvia Cojocaru, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
With the 2024 MotoGP season coming to an end, one of the stories worth highlighting is the one of Pedro Acosta.
The 20 year old Spaniard managed to finish sixth in the standings, and even stepped on the podium five times during his debut MotoGP season, providing some incredible rides along the way.
Ever since his start in motorcycle racing, Acosta was seen as a potential MotoGP World Champion.
Winning the Moto3 World Championship in his first season, and becoming the youngest race winner in his debut season in Moto2, were enough to heil Acosta as the “next big thing” in the moto racing world.
Sometimes, pressure from the media and the public to immediately perform in a highly competitive environment can cause even the toughest riders to break under pressure.
The 19-year old Spaniard knew that he had a lot to prove when he joined the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 team, as all eyes were set on him at the season opener in Qatar.
He managed to finish in P9, but the ride that got him there is what really impressed both the fans and his fellow riders.
Before his tyres began to give out, the rookie managed to fearlessly overtake eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez, among other important names such as Enea Bastianini.
He did all of this aged 19, reminding watchers of Marquez himself, who similarly impressed at his first MotoGP race by finishing third when he was just 20 years old.
Acosta wouldn’t have to wait long before he stepped on the podium himself as, at his second feature race in the premiere class, finishing third.
This made him the third youngest podium finisher in the premier class and the youngest in the new MotoGP era.
Although this result came after several mistakes made by leading riders, the Spaniard showed that he is able to keep his calm and fight at the top.
But perhaps Acosta’s most memorable race of the season came in Texas, where he was really able to prove his worth.
Qualifying second on the grid, the young rider managed to take the lead coming into the first corner, being hunted down by some of the world’s greatest riders.
He showcased some amazing defending skills, as current World Champion Jorge Martin tried to overtake him multiple times at the start of the race.
In the end, Acosta claimed second in the race, an outstanding result considering the experienced riders he was up against and the pressure he was under for pretty much the entire event.
The one piece missing from his rookie season is a race win, something he came really close to accomplishing multiple times. His debut in the premier class was no short of mistakes, some of them costing him possible wins.
An example of this is the Japanese GP, where the Spaniard unfortunately crashed out of both the feature race and the sprint after having just qualified on pole position.
Mistakes like these can happen even to the more experienced riders, but the simple fact that Acosta is able to put himself in positions of victory is worth admiring in the first place.
Despite some inconsistencies in his performance, Acosta still managed to finish the season sixth, just two points off leading KTM factory rider Brad Binder.
There’s no doubt the Spaniard will be just as exciting to watch in 2025, as he steps up to the KTM factory team next year.
With a competitive bike by his side, we might see Pedro Acosta as a championship contender or, at the very least, see a rider who is not afraid to let it all on the track, reminding us of some spectacular talents before him while establishing his own name in the sport.
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