Pedro Acosta just exceeded Marc Marquez’s expectations with Czech Grand Prix heroics

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Pedro Acosta’s first podium of the 2025 MotoGP season will be bittersweet. It took him until round 12 of 22, far longer than he would have anticipated.

But Acosta must, for a moment, have thought he was in line for a first win. The two Ducati riders had to let him through after front tyre pressure warnings appeared on their dash.

Acosta led the race from Marc Marquez, but the championship leader slipped back through in the closing stages. Then, when Marquez crossed the line, the FIM launched an investigation.

There was some doubt as to the identity of the winner in the moments after the race. But Marquez expressed confidence that he’d coaxed his tyre back into the legal range, and he was subsequently cleared.

Marc Marquez said Pedro Acosta had ‘work to do’ at Czech Grand Prix

Acosta hasn’t finished in the top three since the Thailand Sprint last season. But KTM have been rapid this weekend, with Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini springing a surprise to make it a double Sprint podium.

To make Acosta’s performance all the more impressive, this wasn’t his first time racing at Brno. The Czech Grand Prix dropped off the calendar after the 2020 season and only returned this year.

Acosta wouldn’t make his Moto3 debut until 2021, but contrary to Marquez’s expectations, he hasn’t needed any time to adapt to the unfamiliar venue. He was sixth in the opening practice session despite the weather disruption, and he qualified at the head of the third row.

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“[Fermin] Aldeguer and Acosta will have a little more work to do, as they’ve never ridden here,” Marquez had said to DAZN on Thursday. “All of us will soon be in good times.”

Gresini rider Aldeguer did indeed struggle, qualifying 18th – his worst result of the season – and finishing the Sprint well outside the points.

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The hype around Acosta has perhaps cooled this year after a spectacular rookie season. But he’s still been KTM’s lead rider by some distance – the absent Maverick Vinales is now almost 40 points behind.

For 24 hours at least, the 21-year-old occupies P7 in the championship. That ranks him second among non-Ducati riders.

There has been intense speculation that he could climb on a Desmosedici motorcycle with VR46. But Uccio Salucci expects Acosta to prefer a factory team for 2027, whether that’s KTM or one of their rivals.

Acosta has heaped pressure on KTM on several occasions this season, which has fuelled the rumours. But Saturday’s result strengthens their grip on a respectable P4 in the championship.