Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez has been the dominant force in MotoGP in 2025 as he wrapped up his seventh title at Motegi. It has left many wondering who could dethrone him.
With 11 Grand Prix wins and 14 Sprint victories thus far, no one has come close to Marquez in 2025. Given Ducati’s dominance in MotoGP, he stands as the firm favourite to win again in 2026.
But he will have some strong competition next year, with brother Alex Marquez riding a factory bike at Gresini in 2026. Furthermore, Francesco Bagnaia’s ‘inner circle’ believe they could fight Marquez after making significant improvements to his bike at Motegi.
The Ducati is the bike to have to win the MotoGP championship, and many have wondered if other riders could mount a challenge on their machine. Fabio Quartararo thinks he could match Marquez in the dry, but reckons he would struggle in wet conditions.
The Ant of Cervera has proved almost impossible to beat on pure merit in 2025. But KTM test rider and MotoGP pundit Pol Espargaro is ‘convinced’ that one Marquez rival could fight against him at Ducati.
Pol Espargaro is ‘convinced’ that Pedro Acosta can fight Marc Marquez for a win every weekend on a Ducati
Speaking via Motociclismo after the Japanese Grand Prix, Espargaro analysed Pedro Acosta’s ‘wild’ riding style on the KTM RC16 and how it can give him an ‘incredible advantage’. He believes the Spaniard can fight with Marquez on equal machinery.
“I’ve ridden, I’ve seen Pedro’s electronics, maybe that’s why I value him so much, but to me, Pedro seems like a Marc 2.0,” he said.
“I mean, Pedro is incredible. I mean, what he does with the KTM, I tell you, it’s indecent. The way he rides is wild, something natural that he has that he probably doesn’t realise, but the way he positions his body when he pulls out, if you look, all the torso out of the bike, which makes the bike rotate.
“That’s probably not a natural thing that he does, but that position gives him an incredible advantage, that position with his body.
“And he makes the bike rotate in the middle of the curve, and no matter how hard you try, the way he takes the brake smoothly, [he] has some things that are like something touched by a magic wand.
“And it makes me really angry that he doesn’t have the tools he needs to shine like Marc shines, because I’m convinced, and I have no doubt about it, and I wouldn’t be wrong.
“I can be wrong about many things, but I’m sure I’m not wrong about this. He would be fighting to win every race of the season if he had a bike like Marc has, for example.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend
How likely is a Ducati move for Pedro Acosta in the future?
Acosta hates being compared to Marquez, as he wants to establish his own name in the premier class. The KTM star is showing his potential as a top rider, even with some inconsistency and multiple crashes.
Acosta believes he could beat Marquez on a Ducati, stating that ‘difficult things can happen’. The 21-year-old has been tipped for a move to the Borgo Panigale outfit, with VR46 being heavily linked with Acosta.
Valentino Rossi is a big admirer of the Spaniard and may look to sign him after his KTM contract expires in 2026. But Uccio Salucci thinks Acosta could reject VR46 on the basis that he wants a factory seat.
Dorna are already preparing for Acosta to be the next face of MotoGP. It would therefore make sense for him to be on the best bike on the grid, and VR46 could be the way into Ducati.
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