‘Disappointed’ Pedro Acosta shares his big change that his Balaton Park crash goes against

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Pedro Acosta set the pace in pre-qualifying practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday, as the KTM rider edged Ducati ace Marc Marquez by 0.006s at Balaton Park.

MotoGP has made its maiden visit to Balaton Park this weekend for the first Hungarian GP in 32 years. A trip to a new circuit has also yielded an even playing field, and the timed practice session on Friday afternoon also saw Acosta lead a timed session for the first time with KTM.

Acosta stepped up to the factory KTM team for the 2025 MotoGP season after spending his rookie campaign at Tech3 last term. The 21-year-old will now hope his early pace at Balaton Park can deliver a second career premier class pole position, following his in Japan last year.

Friday was not flawless for the Spaniard, though, as Acosta had a nasty highside at Turn 2 as he shadowed Marquez around Balaton Park. The crash, which saw Acosta land on his knees, came with two minutes to go shortly after registering a table-topping 1:37.061 on soft tyres.

Pedro Acosta was ‘disappointed’ to crash at Balaton Park as he wants to ride ‘smoother’

Tech3 aces Enea Bastianini and Pol Espargaro, who is replacing the injured Maverick Vinales, also sealed automatic Q2 spots with Acosta during pre-qualifying at Balaton Park. But works Aprilia and Ducati riders Jorge Martin (P11) and Francesco Bagnaia (P14) will go through Q1.

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

Acosta is pleased with the pace he showed during practice at Balaton Park, as it rewards the work that KTM have done in recent rounds to refine the set-up for his RC16. But his crash at the end of Friday went against the Mazarron native’s quest to avoid falls by riding smoothly.

Acosta told Sky Italia following Friday’s timed practice session at Balaton Park, via quotes by Motosprint: “We worked well, especially today, thanks in part to the fact that we’ve tried so many set-up changes in the last three races. Obviously, I’m disappointed about the crash.

“I’m trying to work to be as consistent as possible. In the past years, I was too aggressive under braking and would often crash. Now, I’m trying to be smoother and calmer in my riding, using that aggression only when really needed.”

Neil Hodgson recoiled as he watched Pedro Acosta’s Hungarian Grand Prix practice crash

Acosta’s fresh mindset to riding the KTM RC16 proved fruitful in setting the fastest lap in the timed practice session at Balaton Park and securing an automatic Q2 place for qualifying for the Hungarian GP. Yet he will not like that his crash came while being smooth around Turn 2.

Neil Hodgson recoiled while commentating on Acosta’s crash for TNT Sports 2, as the KTM rider had an “awkward” highside as he applied the throttle out of the corner. He was able to walk away seemingly unhurt and returned to the KTM garage once the session was finished.

READ MORE: Everything to know about KTM from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

Hodgson said: “Whoa! Landing on his knees, that’s an awkward crash. That would have hurt. He lost the rear on the initial tap [of the throttle] on full lean. Wow.”

Acosta will hope to learn from his crash and avoid a similar incident during Saturday’s Sprint at Balaton Park and Sunday’s Hungarian GP. The 21-year-old headed to Hungary on the back of taking podiums in the Brno (P2) and Red Bull Ring (P3) Sprints, plus in the Czech GP (P2).

The KTM rider only missed out on the rostrum by 3.438s in the Austrian GP, as well, as he hit the chequered flag in P4. Acosta suffered a lot with his tyres at the Red Bull Ring in the wake of Fermin Aldeguer’s Ducati Desmosedici GP24, as the Gresini racer charged through for P2.