Dani Pedrosa says Pedro Acosta made an ‘old school’ decision in Malaysia that reminded him of Casey Stoner

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Pedro Acosta added another podium to his premier class tally at the Malaysian Grand Prix, and MotoGP legend Dani Pedrosa has pinpointed the ‘old school’ decision he made with engineers beforehand that reminded him of Casey Stoner.

Acosta recorded the most lucrative race weekend of his MotoGP career at the Sepang International Circuit, securing third place in Saturday’s Sprint race before taking the chequered flag in the Grand Prix behind the first-placed man of Alex Marquez.

He has been linked with several different factory outfits due to the impressive performance on display during his sophomore season in the premier class, and Acosta hinted at potentially losing faith in KTM with his post-race comments in Malaysia.

However, recent results from the Murcian prove that the Austrian constructor are on an upward trajectory in terms of the performance of their prototype. Acosta is hopeful of winning a maiden Grand Prix in 2026 atop a bike that can challenge ‘semi-consistently’.

READ MORE: Michael Laverty shares what Pedro Acosta did to Francesco Bagnaia that he ‘didn’t expect’ at the Malaysian GP

Dani Pedrosa hails Pedro Acosta for making a ‘truly old school’ decision before the Malaysian Grand Prix

Acosta made a ‘nothing to lose’ request to KTM engineers ahead of Sunday’s race in Sepang, in which he asked for all devices and controls to be ‘taken off’ his bike.

The Murcian rider was keen to see how his performance would differ when relying on his own racecraft, and it proved to be fruitful as he matched his best-ever Grand Prix finish in MotoGP.

Speaking to DAZN after the conclusion of the race, MotoGP legend and KTM development rider Dani Pedrosa hailed the 21-year-old for his decision, saying, via MOW, “Pedro has done something truly old school.

“Pedro had one of his best races of the year. In the Sprint, he struggled with speed, but today he managed the front tyre very well despite doing many laps behind Pecco. 

“He was able to find that natural feeling on the throttle, reminiscent of Casey Stoner and trusting his right hand more than the electronics.

“This makes the difference. Now he is only 26 points behind Bagnaia; if he continues like this, there could be a surprise.”

READ MORE: Pedro Acosta told ‘incredible’ move to Ducati is unlikely as he considers KTM future

Pedro Acosta revealed that KTM are aware of ‘what’s missing’ from their bike to make them competitive

Despite being one of the brightest young talents on the grid who has been tipped to win world championships in the future, Acosta is still on the hunt for his first Grand Prix victory in the premier class.

Having secured one pole position and eight podiums in the 38 race weekends he has competed in thus far, the Spaniard has made it publicly clear that he is ready to take the next step in his career and consistently fight for race wins.

Acosta has stated that KTM know what’s missing from their RC16 prototype as he continues to chase a maiden victory, but translating that into a part that meshes with the overall package has been difficult.

With Acosta’s KTM contract expiring at the end of 2026, the 21-year-old will be hoping to take a trip to the top step of the podium before then to further boost his stock in future negotiations.