Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta is set to join Ducati in 2027 and become Marc Marquez’s teammate. It could be one of the most exciting partnerships in MotoGP history.
Marquez, who’s targeting an eighth premier-class title this year, is one of the greatest of all time. But many have labelled Acosta his symbolic successor.
Acosta ‘hates’ being called the new Marquez but such comparisons are inevitable in light of his nationality and his achievements as a youngster.
Has Pedro Acosta lived up to the hype in his MotoGP career to date?
A Moto2 and Moto3 champion, Acosta has scored 10 podiums in his first two MotoGP seasons, even if he’s still hunting for that elusive first win.
Jorge Lorenzo’s Honda move shows dangers of MotoGP ‘dream team’ tag
The proposed partnership arguably gives Ducati the best rider for the present and the best rider for the future. But even though Acosta is only 21 years old, he’s already seen as one of the fastest on the grid.
Factor in the youngster’s outspoken personality, and there’s definite potential for tension between Marquez and Acosta.
Lorenzo predicted that Acosta and Ducati would ‘cross paths‘, but now that it’s coming to pass, he has issued a veiled warning.
Have Ducati made the right decision? 💣
When Honda signed Lorenzo to partner Marquez in 2019, the ‘dream tag’ was also used. But the latter’s disastrous season, which featured a serious injury and no top-10 finishes, shows there are no guarantees in MotoGP.
“It’s one of those teams they call a dream team,” Lorenzo told Moto.it. “They also said that about the pairing we formed when I went to Honda, but it didn’t work out.
“Pedro is a smart guy, he also has a smart manager, Albert Valera, and at Ducati there’s Gigi Dall’Igna: intelligent people always understand each other.”
Why Ducati shouldn’t fear Jorge Lorenzo repeat with Pedro Acosta
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two cases is that Lorenzo was around 10 years older than Acosta when he entered Marquez’s garage.
It could be argued that Lorenzo was already showing signs of decline at Ducati, where he was outperformed by Andrea Dovizioso. Acosta, on the other hand, should only get better.
While Marquez will have three years of experience on a Desmosedici by the end of 2026, the upcoming rule changes will partially negate that advantage.
The move hasn’t yet been confirmed, but Ducati have openly acknowledged their interest in Acosta, and Francesco Bagnaia seems to be exploring his options elsewhere.
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