Marco Bezzecchi
Fermin Aldeguer and Pedro Acosta are two of the brightest talents in MotoGP at the moment, and the former has shared an honest update on his relationship with the latter following the conclusion of their childhood friendship.
With both riders hailing from the Spanish region of Murcia and separated in age by just 11 months, the two riders were close confidantes during their rise through the ranks within the junior racing categories on two wheels.
However, the friendship between Acosta and Aldeguer became fractured as they grew older, mainly due to both riders’ hyper-competitive dreams of becoming the best man in the premier class series.
Aldeguer admits that Acosta has had the better career so far, but the Gresini rider swung the bragging rights back into his favour after he claimed his maiden win in MotoGP before the KTM man, despite spending one season less in the premier class.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fermin Aldeguer with his rise to MotoGP and height
Fermin Aldeguer shares an update on his relationship with fellow Murcian and MotoGP rival Pedro Acosta
Acosta and Aldeguer have shared some intense battles in MotoGP since the latter’s step up to the premier class ahead of the current campaign.
However, recent comments from the 20-year-old suggest how much he values being able to battle alongside his friend from days prior.
Speaking to journalists in the pre-event press conference for the Australian Grand Prix, Aldeguer highlighted how much it meant to him to be able to share the podium with a fellow Murcian for his maiden win in Indonesia.
“I think now Murcia is one of the best places for motorcycle sport, more kids are arriving,” Aldeguer started. “For me to share a podium with Pedro is very nice because in the end, we trained a lot of time together, we arrived here at the top, our dream, together.
“Maybe the relationship is not the same, but it’s very difficult to have friends in the paddock for everybody. We don’t have any problems, we are just rivals who are competing for the same goal and just this, but it’s nice.”
It is believed that one of Aldeguer’s motivations in MotoGP is to show the world that Acosta isn’t the only up-and-coming star who will take the grid by storm in the years to come. His win in Mandalika certainly proved that.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend
Pedro Acosta believes his rise to MotoGP with Fermin Aldeguer is ‘good’ for Murcia
Acosta was also asked the same question during the pre-event press conference, with an image of the two riders standing on the podium as children being brought up.
The 21-year-old KTM rider said, “It’s super cool to see photos from those days in the end. It’s nice to see two guys coming from Murcia who, from the beginning, even when Juanfran and Ana Carrasco were here, was quite difficult to imagine that some guys from a really small region will be able to arrive.
“Maybe it was a shock first of all to see me, and then it was a shock to see Fermin win his first MotoGP race in the last GP. I think it’s a really good thing for the whole region, for all the guys that want to become like us.
“Let’s say now they have like solid heroes. To see that it is possible. Now us two are here in MotoGP, but also [Alvaro] Carpe is coming, [Maximo] Quiles is coming. Many young guys will come soon from Murcia. Everything good that has happened to us is also good for the region.”
It’s entirely plausible that the two riders could team up at the factory Ducati team one day. Aldeguer has been hailed as the future of Ducati by team boss Luigi Dall’Igna, and Acosta has been linked with a move to the stable amid his frustrations at KTM.
The fireworks that the partnership would bring would be absolute cinema for the sport.
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