231-point MotoGP rider claims he’s the only one ‘in this paddock’ who doesn’t care about his salary

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Most MotoGP rider contracts are shrouded in secrecy. But the wages of a handful of stars have emerged in the media.

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo is clearly one of the highest earners on the grid. Quartararo would have taken a huge pay cut if he’d joined a satellite Ducati team, and he’s chosen to stay put as the franchise rider for the Japanese manufacturer.

Elsewhere, two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia earns an initial £6m, rising to £8.5m with bonuses. The salary of legendary teammate Marc Marquez is unknown, but he’s clearly the most marketable athlete in the sport, as his independent brand deals demonstrate.

Last year’s title winner Jorge Martin has banked £3.5m per year by joining the Aprilia factory squad. Martin has yet to ride after a pre-season injury, so may miss out on some contractual incentives as a result.

At the other end of the scale, Gresini rookie Fermin Aldeguer is believed to be on £250k – a fraction of Bagnaia’s pay packet. Along with some of his fellow riders, Jack Miller has spoken to Dorna about salaries and is pushing for a higher mandatory sign-on bonus.

Pedro Acosta adamant he ‘isn’t concerned about the money’ amid KTM exit rumours

Based on the figures above, Pedro Acosta signed a £400k-a-year deal with the factory KTM squad. Given his prodigious talent and the wages of his rivals, one could understand why he might want more.

But speaking to SPEEDWEEK, the Spaniard insisted it wasn’t a concern. In that respect, he regards himself as unique.

Acosta, who’s scored 231 points so far in the premier class, simply feels grateful to ‘do what I love’. He’s acutely aware of his privilege, which means he doesn’t feel as much ‘pressure’.

“I’m the only one in this paddock who isn’t concerned about the money,” he said. “I don’t really feel any pressure either; no one has put any pressure on me since day one at the company.

“When I was in Moto2, everyone expected me to win the championship in my first year. Last year, I was the rider with the most crashes, and no one said anything.

“We started well, then things got more difficult – and no one put any pressure on me. We know we have a long way to go before we can try to win the championship.

“There’s pressure on someone who’s unemployed and has to bring home food. I’m here and I can do what I love. I enjoy riding – when that’s the case, the good results usually come naturally.

“Sometimes it’s easier, sometimes harder, but if I stay calm and happy, they’ll come.”

Valentino Rossi may be on the verge of signing Pedro Acosta – but he’ll have one concern

While his contract runs until the end of 2026, Keith Huewen believes Acosta will have escape clauses. The main suitors at this stage appear to be VR46.

In fact, there are rumours that Valentino Rossi’s team have already reached an agreement with Acosta. The exact timeline for the proposed move is unclear.

Acosta may have gone down in Rossi’s estimations after the first three races. The 20-year-old has arguably displayed a poor attitude at times.

Indeed, one journalist felt Acosta didn’t ‘care’ about crashing his KTM bike. He might feel he has to override to compensate for the RC16’s limitations, but he’s spurning the hard work of his mechanics and engineers too often.