Written by Silvia Cojocaru, Edited by Meghana Sree
At just 20 years old, Pedro Acosta is already cementing himself into the MotoGP hall of fame. After only his seventh race in the championship, the Spaniard is fifth in the standings, battling the likes of Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, on his way to the top and securing a spot with the Red Bull KTM Factory Team for 2025.
Career background
Despite having just started, Acosta’s career is not short of incredible achievements. In 2017 he won the PreMoto3 Championship, being able to make the move to the Moto3 Junior World Championship in 2018.
Three years later he made his debut in the Moto3 World Championship, claiming P2 in the first race of the season and three consecutive wins shortly after. Acosta won the title, going into Moto2 having all eyes set on him.
He did not disappoint, making history as the youngest ever race winner after racing at Mugello. He finished fifth in the standings, and was crowned Rookie of the Year. However, the Spaniard was not satisfied, going on to win the Championship the following year. It was clear to everyone watching that it was just a matter of time before he would get a spot in MotoGP.
MotoGP debut
Going into MotoGP, Acosta immediately made his presence known. The young rider finished P3 in his second ever race in the series at Portimao, becoming the youngest rider to claim a podium finish in the MotoGP era.
He followed this result with a P2 in Texas, also becoming the youngest rider with back-to-back podium finishes. In Spain, despite a tricky qualifying, he still found himself in the top ten, showing that he is able to consistently be scoring points for the team.
Seemingly unfazed by the impressive names he is up against, the rookie is constantly keeping the crowd on their feet with his smooth overtakes. The Grand Prix of the Americas saw the Spaniard take on Marquez, Maverick Vinales, Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini, securing his position on the podium after an impressive result in qualifying placed him on the front row of the grid.
The rookie’s season is not without faults however. An unfortunate fall at Le Mans had the Spanish lose his previous fourth position in the standings after trying a double overtake on Fabio Di Giannantonio and Aleix Espargaro.
Multiple falls in the practice sessions at Mugello also showed a similar level of determination for the young rider to understand his bike, yet his second place finish in the Italian race proved his efforts were worth it.
It is overall exciting to see how Acosta doesn’t seem to be interested in racing at the back, having an “all or nothing” mentality so early in his career.
What also sets Acosta apart from what you’d expect from a young rider is his maturity. During press conferences it would be easy to mistake him from one of the riders with years of experience.
Even so, the Spaniard doesn’t miss any chances of showing off his playful side, following in the path of Valentino Rossi before him with his ability to entertain both on and off the bike.
Acosta is currently the highest placed GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 rider and the only one to reach the podium, leaving many to wonder what his next move may be.
Acosta’s outstanding success may remind teams of the importance of seeking out younger talents, therefore changing the current MotoGP landscape. With such legends in the makings, the future of this sport continues to shine bright; as one star fades there comes another to replace it.
Still, the question remains: could Acosta genuinely become a Championship contender this year, or are there still things he has to learn and improve on in order to see his name on the World Championship Trophy?
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