Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta continues to impress figures inside the MotoGP paddock with his overachievements at KTM, and Pol Espargaro thinks we’re yet to see the best side of the Spaniard due to his midfield machinery.
The 21-year-old made history for KTM following the conclusion of the 2026 Thailand Grand Prix as he became the first rider for the Austrian constructor to occupy the top spot of MotoGP’s riders’ championship.
It came after an impressive weekend that saw him claim his first chequered flag in the premier class with victory in the Sprint. P2 in the Grand Prix cemented his position as the championship leader until the following race weekend.
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The current campaign marks Acosta’s third season in the premier class, and it has also been tipped to be his final in KTM colours.
Before the 2026 term had even started, it became apparent that Acosta will be partnering with Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati team next year. While official confirmation is yet to arrive, the deal is understood to have already been signed.
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Pol Espargaro knows that Pedro Acosta is much better than what KTM can offer him
In an interview with Diario AS, KTM test rider Pol Espargaro was asked for his thoughts on the void that Acosta would leave at Mattighofen should he depart from the team at the end of the current campaign.
The 34-year-old sang his colleague’s praise, replying, “I believe Pedro is unique, and I truly believe that. I’m not saying he’s the best, but he’s a unique talent, and everyone achieves their results in a very different way.
“Pedro has a riding style and a way of doing things that is completely unique. So, if you lose Pedro, you lose so much. You don’t just lose results; you lose other things that perhaps aren’t as visible.
“Pedro is one of those unique talents, and perhaps we haven’t seen it as much because we haven’t been at the level, factory-wise, to give him the tools he needed.
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“But there are very few riders like Pedro in the world championship; you could count them on one hand, and I’d probably still have fingers to spare. If we lose him, it will be a huge problem for us.
“But it’s said that when someone leaves, someone has to take on that responsibility, and we hope that whoever comes in, if Pedro leaves, will take up that mantle and that responsibility of leading the factory.
“In the same way that Pedro has been doing for some years now, and with such a young mindset.”
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Enea Bastianini has previously voiced concerns about KTM prioritising Pedro Acosta
In the midst of Acosta’s frustrations with KTM last year, engineers for the Austrian constructor had seemingly put aside all other plans and looked to aid the young Spaniard’s quest to become a frontrunning rider in MotoGP.
Of course, as the flag-bearing rider for the factory outfit since his addition to the team at the start of 2025, he had earned favour in the KTM garages.
Ahead of the new term this year, Enea Bastianini raised concerns over the level of favour that Acosta is receiving from mechanics as he urged them to look beyond the 21-year-old and towards the rest of the riders within their stable instead.
Acosta’s hot start to the current campaign certainly hasn’t helped Bastianini’s wishes to come to fruition, and they’re unlikely to budge unless Brad Binder or Maverick Vinales is able to replicate the Murcian’s form.
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