Marco Bezzecchi
MotoGP pundit Marco Melandri thinks Pedro Acosta’s expected move to Ducati for 2027 will be his ‘only salvation’ amid the Spaniard’s ongoing frustrations at KTM Factory Racing.
As the chequered flag fell at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Pedro Acosta recorded his worst result of the current MotoGP season so far. After starting from P6 on the grid, the KTM star could only muster a P10 finish.
Is Pedro Acosta going to beat Marc Marquez at Ducati next year?
His efforts were hindered by a scrape with Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez, which left his factory KTM bike missing an element from its front fairing, but it was clear that the RC16 simply couldn’t keep up with the frontrunning bikes of Aprilia and Ducati.
Ahead of the 2026 campaign, Acosta had predicted another ‘year of suffering’ for himself at the Austrian constructor. While his results in the first three rounds of the term indicated a stark improvement of KTM’s bike, it’s still nowhere near championship contention.
Marco Melandri doesn’t think Pedro Acosta can ‘survive’ another year at KTM
During a recent episode of the Chiacchiere da Box podcast, former MotoGP star Marco Melandri detailed how Acosta’s expected move to the factory Ducati team for the 2027 campaign is now his ‘only salvation’.
“In my view, his only salvation is really to think about next year, to start clinging on and saying ‘Okay, I’m at Ducati’, because even though they haven’t made it official, it’s now clear that he can’t stay there for even a moment,” Melandri told co-host Davide Valsecchi.
“There’s no way he’ll survive. And it’s really tough to race like this for three years, always struggling, when you think you could be much better than what you’re showing. And he’s definitely better than this.”
What does matching Colin Edwards’ record say about Pedro Acosta?
Following the clinching of his 12th podium in the premier class at the United States GP, Acosta became the new record holder for the rider with the most rostrum visits without a Grand Prix victory to his name.
It has since been reported that the unwanted record ‘aggravated’ Acosta upon inheriting it, with his eyes set firmly on challenging for race wins and world championships as soon as he possibly can.
- READ MORE: Pedro Acosta has asked Ducati to scupper Francesco Bagnaia’s crew chief plan ahead of Aprilia move
Dani Pedrosa has already warned Marc Marquez about Pedro Acosta ahead of Ducati match-up
While an extension to Marc Marquez’s current deal at Ducati is yet to be confirmed, Acosta will likely partner up with the seven-time MotoGP world champion during the premier class’s new era of technical regulations next year.
Grand Prix legend Giacomo Agostini has predicted fireworks to ensue between Acosta and Marquez during their first campaign as teammates, with the rivalry also expected to split Spanish fans of MotoGP.
During a recent interview alongside Acosta, Dani Pedrosa also detailed how the KTM star is yet to enter his prime in the sport, in what can only be seen as a direct warning from Marquez’s former Honda teammate about his future one.
It should be a fascinating match-up between the pair of highly ambitious Spaniards, who are unlikely to give each other an inch during their wheel-to-wheel battles on equal machinery.
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