Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta has issued an ominous Marc Marquez prediction for the rest of the 2026 MotoGP campaign following his battles with the factory Ducati rider throughout the beginning of the season.
2026 has seen Pedro Acosta enjoy his most competitive stint in the premier class yet. With eight rounds of racing now in the books, the 22-year-old has secured three podiums in the Grand Prix format, as well as a win in the season-opening Buriram Sprint race.
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The majority of his time spent under racing conditions this season has been battling against his rumoured future teammate, Marc Marquez. The two highly aggressive Spaniards most recently shared a thrilling battle at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
With Marquez now looking like he is on his way back to full form after suffering an injury-hit start to the season, Acosta believes it is only up from here for the reigning world champion.
Pedro Acosta expects Marc Marquez’s level to continue rising as the season progresses
Speaking to DAZN inside the Czech Grand Prix paddock on Thursday afternoon, Acosta was asked for his thoughts on the upcoming race weekend.
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The topic of when he will secure his first Grand Prix victory has been a big talking point throughout the start of the current campaign, and he expects it to become even more difficult now that Marquez is on his way to being back at his very best.
“Aprilia are already a big step ahead of us, Ducati are performing as they always do,” he started. “Marc has returned from his injury, so I think that now everything is more or less stable, it’s going to get increasingly difficult.”
Acosta was then asked if he now considers Marquez as a serious contender to retain his MotoGP title at the end of the year. Marco Bezzecchi currently leads the Ducati ace in championship standings by 72 points, but the seven-time title-winner can never be ruled out.
“Sure, Marc is Marc,” he replied. “At the end of the day, you only have to look at the race he had in Hungary – he went from strength to strength.
“And if he’s not physically on form, you don’t have a race like that either, do you? So, I think between now and the end of the year, his level will keep rising, so to speak.”
- READ MORE: Pedro Acosta shares what he immediately ‘realised’ behind Marc Marquez in the Hungarian GP Sprint
Marc Marquez says another injury is the ‘worst thing that could happen’
During his own comments to the press in Czechia, Marquez played down his title chances, citing his main focus as being on his ongoing recovery more than anything.
Speaking to DAZN, the reigning world champion said, “Progress has been made. Obviously, with more time and more training sessions at the test track, you do make progress that way. I hope to be in better shape than I was at Mugello, above all.
“That was a bit of a benchmark; now we’re back on right-hand circuits again, so we’ll get a clearer picture of where we stand here, but we’ll try to keep making progress, understanding day by day what we’re capable of, but above all, without overdoing it.
“The last thing I need right now – or the worst thing that could happen – is another injury, however minor it may be, because we’re in the process of improving physically.”
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