Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez says that Pedro Acosta needs to be the ‘leader’ of the next generation of MotoGP riders.
At 33 years old and with nine Grand Prix titles to his name, Marquez is nearing the end of his career. Many riders have been tipped to be the next stars in MotoGP, with Ducati already preparing Fermin Aldeguer to replace Marquez when he retires.
Marquez’s protege Maximo Quiles is also a serious talent for the future, with the Spaniard currently dominating Moto3. But of these stars, the Ant of Cervera has put responsibility on his future teammate to be the head of them all.
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Marc Marquez says Pedro Acosta needs to be ‘leader’ of MotoGP’s next generation
Acosta, who will join Ducati alongside Marquez in 2027, is being backed as a future world champion. He has consistently outperformed his KTM machinery, but is still yet to win a MotoGP race.
The Shark is fourth in the standings after the Hungarian GP, having finished second in both races. He had been leading on Sunday until Marquez engaged in a brilliant battle with Acosta.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend
Marquez got the better of him in the end, but Acosta’s skill was clear to see. The Ducati rider insists that his fellow compatriot needs to be the ‘leader’ of the next generation.
He said, via quotes from the PecinoGP YouTube channel: “Yes. Well, when one fighter meets another, that’s the nature of a head-to-head match. Acosta is a fighter, and I’ve said it before.
“I said it in Mugello, I said it yesterday; he’s one of the riders who’s going to define the new generation. There are three or four of them, but he has to be the leader because, of those who’ve moved up, he’s the one who’s been in MotoGP the longest.”
Marc Marquez is the first rider EVER to hit 100 wins and 100 poles, but is he better in qualifying or the race? 💯
Pedro Acosta praises his progress in MotoGP after battling Marc Marquez
Commenting on his fight with Marquez at Balaton Park, Acosta was happy with his progress in MotoGP. He explained that he used to be ‘nervous’ and crash in these situations, but now he feels he has made a step up.
The KTM rider added: “So the battle went on for as long as it had to, because in the end Marc was much faster than me. So, we held on as long as we could—it really came down to a battle of wills with Marc, right?
“In the end, if you’re battling with him and you can pass him again and he’s getting a little dizzy, it means we’re doing a good job, right? Above all, I’ve taken a big step forward compared to last year.
“In these situations, I used to get nervous, but I made a lot of mistakes, I crashed, I didn’t score points. This year it seems like I’m a lot more consistent; I’m doing things right, and I have a lot more points than I did at this point in last year’s championship.
“So, that’s what I’m saying. I think we can be satisfied with the step forward we’re taking, especially personally.”
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