Pedro Acosta admits he would be happy being ‘half as good’ as Marc Marquez in MotoGP

Add as preferred source on Google

Pedro Acosta has admitted that he wants to be ‘half as good’ as Marc Marquez, citing his ‘respect’ for the MotoGP legend.

Ahead of his MotoGP debut in 2024, Acosta was being compared to Marquez, and even some saw him as ‘the next Marquez’. These comparisons, while he hates them, have not been surprising, as he finds himself consistently at the front in KTM machinery.

This season, he has been fighting closely with the Ducati rider, especially last weekend at Balaton Park, where he finished P2 in both races. The Shark has been looking to learn from his compatriot – in Mugello, Acosta deliberately followed Marquez to find that extra pace.

Pedro Acosta wants to be ‘half’ of what Marc Marquez has achieved in MotoGP

While they are rivals on track, both riders have clear respect for one another off of it. Marquez saw Acosta was world champion material in Mugello, and the KTM rider showed his huge ‘respect’ for the Ant of Cervera on the Gypsy Tales Podcast.

Acosta offered his thoughts on Marquez’s career and his incredible comeback from multiple injury setbacks. He says he does not respect him for his wins and championships, but for the suffering he endured to return to the top of MotoGP.

“He was for 10, 11, 12 years, I don’t know, in the biggest company in the world, making bikes,” said Acosta. “He was getting good money. He was already taking what he dreamed [of] when he was a kid, that was winning in MotoGP.

“He did not need to come back. He struggled [for] one, two, three, four years. He goes to satellite teams that… I never thought about seeing Marc in a satellite team. Maybe another brand is OK, but in a satellite team, eight time world championship in these days? It’s not normal.

Of all 100 of Marc Marquez’s victories, which one is his BEST?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

“For me, what makes Marc one of the greatest is not how much he achieved; it’s how much it cost to take it back. Because when you have the crown and this goes away, normally we have to understand that younger riders like this come.

“Quartararo, Pecco in his days, Martin. These guys are talented, and you are coming back from really difficult year to take back what is yours, let’s say.

“This is what I imagine he was thinking, and he got it. This is something to take out of the cup and say, ‘Man [there] was no one serving more than you.’

“When somebody is that good, you have to recognise. I hope one day to be half as good, or take half of what he achieved. At the end, I don’t respect him for how much he won. Maybe I respect him even more after how much he suffered to take it back.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend

Pedro Acosta says he would be ‘where you want to be’ as Marc Marquez’s teammate

Acosta will be Marquez’s teammate at Ducati in 2027, replacing Francesco Bagnaia. Many are tipping it to be an almighty battle, as the former will get equal machinery to fight with the latter for, potentially, the title.

Aprilia are not too fond of Acosta joining Ducati, because the Italian manufacturer will have two Spanish riders in the factory team. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old, when asked, hypothetically, how it would feel sharing a garage with Marquez, would consider it an ‘honour’ to lose to him.

“Will be a nice challenge,” he added. “I mean, I think that even, for any reason, I cannot win the championship, but I just arrive until the end battling with him, [it] will be like, in my head, will be, ‘OK, now you are where you want to be. You are in that position.’

“Even if I lose, it will be an honour to lose to him, let’s say. But minimum, I will have the same things and the same chance to win the championship as him. For this minimum, I will have a real comparison, let’s say.”