Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez has praised Pedro Acosta after the future teammates contested a lengthy battle at the Italian Grand Prix.
Acosta repeatedly passed Marquez for fourth place before surrendering the position on the pit straight owing to the superior grunt of the Ducati.
Eventually, as the returning world champion tired, Acosta was able to make the move stick, though he did lose out to Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura for P4. Marquez would cross the line P7 behind VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio.
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The reigning champion finished seventh on his return
Marc Marquez: Pedro Acosta is ready to fight for titles with the right bike
Speaking after the race, via AS, Marquez admitted that his Ducati bike was simply ‘superior’ to Acosta’s KTM. That’s why he was able to extend the fight for as long as he did.
Marquez also relied on his ‘experience’ against the third-year rider, who remains the second-youngest on the grid.
The seven-time MotoGP champion is sure that Acosta will ‘definitely’ fight for the world title once he has the right machinery. KTM’s reliance on the ‘Shark of Mazarron’ was evident again at Mugello, with next-best rider Brad Binder finishing 11th, some 14 seconds behind.
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“Well, I saw that I have a superior bike to his, that’s why I was fighting with him, and I’m always very honest,” Marquez said.
“Today I relied on my experience. I knew that if he passed me at the end on the straight, I’d overtake him in my slipstream.
“What can I say about Acosta? He’s a fantastic rider, and when he has a bike that’s competitive with the ones at the front, he’ll definitely be fighting for the championship.”
Acosta is hoping that his impending move to Ducati gives him that title-winning ticket. The deal is yet to be announced officially, but it’s widely known that he will replace Francesco Bagnaia as Marquez’s teammate.
Ducati have been surpassed by Aprilia at the front of the field, but the upcoming rule changes mean that this year’s pecking order won’t necessarily last.
Acosta remains fourth in the standings after Sunday’s race, which is exactly where he finished last year.
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