Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta has attempted to play down his involvement in a title fight during the 2026 MotoGP season, but reigning world champion Marc Marquez has no doubt that the KTM star poses a ‘real’ threat to Ducati this year.
Heading into the second round of the 2026 MotoGP season, Pedro Acosta currently leads the championship standings ahead of Marco Bezzecchi.
Acosta’s lucrative weekend at the season-opener in Thailand marked the first time in his career that he ended a Grand Prix as the championship leader, as well as KTM’s first time fielding a championship leader in their rider line-up.
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During his own media duties in the lead-up to the Brazilian Grand Prix, Acosta attempted to play down his role as a championship protagonist, but Marc Marquez isn’t fooled that easily.
- READ MORE: Ducati staff privately admit Marc Marquez may not be at his ‘very best’ at Brazilian Grand Prix
Marc Marquez asserts that Pedro Acosta poses a ‘real’ threat to Ducati this year
During the pre-event press conference in Goiania, Marquez fielded a number of questions relating to Ducati’s disappointing season-opener and how they plan on bouncing back this weekend in Brazil.
Asked if he is confident of a resurgence this weekend, the reigning world champion said via Marca, “We’ll see. We’ll try to score points and keep improving.
“It’s true that they’re bringing back the Thai and Austrian fairings, which usually work quite well for us, but we’ll also have to understand how we adapt, and it’s not just about the bike but also about the riding, where Bezzecchi and Acosta are at a very high level.”
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He was also asked about how great Ducati’s technical difficulties currently are compared to Aprilia, who emerged as a dominant force last time out in Buriram. The Ant of Cervera was quick to refer back to Acosta’s recent comments.
He said, “It’s real. Look, hopefully we’ll get much closer, but Bezzecchi and Acosta’s level is real, because if you look at the last six races of last year, Bezzecchi and Acosta were on the podium in almost all of them.
“So their level is real, it’s not a case of ‘they’ll catch up eventually,’ no. They are two fantastic riders who work very well with their bikes, and we have to work to be as close as possible and try to beat them.”
- READ MORE: Marc Marquez now thinks ‘special’ Pedro Acosta is the ‘benchmark’ for all young riders in MotoGP
Ducati utilising high aero fairings may play into the hands of Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia
Marquez’s confirmation that Ducati will utilise their high downforce aero fairings that were previously used at the season-opener may set off some alarm bells for Borgo Panigale’s tifosi.
Aprilia are understood to have the best aerodynamic package currently on the grid, with Neil Hodgson praising Noale’s engineers for fixing the MotoGP outfit’s ‘weak area’ that often came at stop-and-go style circuits.
Ducati were seen preparing an aero upgrade in the private test that took place in between the first and second rounds of the 2026 campaign, indicating that they have identified where they are still able to gain some time on Aprilia’s benchmark machinery.
It remains to be seen how the weekend of racing will play out, but it’s certainly looking like another Bezzecchi rout even if bikes are yet to touch the tarmac in Brazil.
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