Pedro Acosta needs to listen to what Marc Marquez just said about MotoGP ‘risks’

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Pedro Acosta suffered more falls than any other MotoGP rider in 2024. It was a recurring theme that undercut an otherwise sensational rookie season.

Over the course of the year, Acosta came off his bike 28 times – four more than any other rider. The KTM was clearly somewhat difficult to ride, with Jack Miller, Brad Binder and Augusto Fernandez all featuring in the top five.

But Acosta’s errors can also perhaps be put down to inexperience. He was leading the Sprint race at the Japanese Grand Prix, on course for a first premier-class win of any description, when he lost control at turn six.

Acosta bagged his first pole position at Motegi, but he couldn’t convert it in the race either. He was running second when he suffered yet another accident.

The Spaniard retired from four Grands Prix in total, and also was declared unfit for the race in Australia after a Sprint crash. He still finished sixth in the championship, but he could have been comfortably clear of lead KTM rider Brad Binder (two points ahead) without these mistakes.

For this season, Acosta graduates from Tech3 to the factory squad. The expectation will be that he cuts out some of the errors while showing the same formidable speed.

Marc Marquez says there are only ‘five or six laps’ where MotoGP riders need to take chances

Speaking on ‘El Hormiguero‘, a chat show in Spain, Marc Marquez outlined his risk-taking philosophy. The six-time premier-class champion may be second in the table above, but he logged two Sunday DNFs.

Marquez says he’s learned that MotoGP riders don’t need to take chances throughout a race. Instead, they need to recognise the decisive period in the race.

At that moment, they may start carrying more speed into corners, or try an audacious overtaking manoeuvre.

• READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend

Acosta has been called the next Marquez, but he needs to take this advice on board. Greater caution would clearly serve him well.

“With experience, you learn that you don’t have to take maximum risks every lap or in every practice session,” Marquez explained. “There are key points in a race, five or six laps that are crucial, and then you have to take risks if you want to win, but not for 25 laps.”

Pedro Acosta’s message to his crew after topping MotoGP crash table

Worryingly, one journalist says Acosta could face a ‘rider safety issue’ on his KTM motorcycle at the Thailand Grand Prix. Eye-witnesses noticed that he and Binder ‘chewed up’ their Michelin rear tyres, contributing to a severe lack of grip.

This may be partly related to the high temperatures at Buriram. But it would force Acosta to be gentler on his RC16 for fear of a late-race fall.

Last year, Acosta told his crew he’d ‘go for it’ if he saw an opportunity in a race. In his eyes, he needed to ‘push like hell’ given the limitations of his machinery relative to the Ducatis.

But perhaps he needs to recognise when he has a realistic chance, and when he has to focus on bringing home points. When he competes for a championship – which seems inevitable at some point – that’s the attitude he must have.