Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta has spoken out about a potential ‘rivalry’ with Marc Marquez ahead of his move to Ducati.
Ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix in Assen, Ducati dominated the headlines as they confirmed several contract news for 2027.
On Tuesday, Ducati confirmed that Marc Marquez had signed an extension; the Spaniard is set to ride for the team for both the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
Following the Marquez renewal, it was announced on Wednesday that Francesco Bagnaia would leave Ducati after a six-year stint that brought in two MotoGP world titles.
Swiftly after the confirmation of Bagnaia’s exit, it was revealed that Acosta is set to leave KTM for Ducati, linking up with Marquez from 2027.
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Pedro Acosta says there is currently ‘no rivalry’ with Marc Marquez ahead of Ducati transfer
Speaking to the media on Thursday ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Acosta was unsurprisingly quizzed on his upcoming transfer to Ducati.
The 22-year-old, who is regarded as one of the best young riders on the MotoGP grid, was asked about the potential of forging a rivalry with the legendary Marquez.
In response, Acosta revealed that his relationship with Marquez is currently ‘natural and professional’, but he then joked that there is no need for the pair to ‘hug or go out for dinner’.
The Spaniard went on to echo what Marquez had previously said, claiming that a ‘rivalry’ is only forged when fighting for a world championship.
As reported by Motorsport, Acosta said: “The relationship is natural and professional; there’s no need to hug or go out to dinner together.
“A rivalry, as Marc said a while back, is forged when you’re fighting for a championship, not just because you’re in the same garage. For now, there’s no rivalry.”
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Prior to his move to Ducati being confirmed, it was reported that Acosta was ready to sign for Honda.
In order for the Japanese manufacturer to get their hands on Acosta, it was suggested that one condition had to be met.
As reported by Spanish news outlet AS, Acosta met with Honda and ‘those who know him’ claimed that had Marquez opted to make a return to Honda, Acosta would have jumped at the chance to sign for the Japanese manufacturer.
However, Marquez only had eyes for Ducati, which also made Acosta’s decision clear: they were going to link up in red from 2027.
Speaking about the challenge of racing against someone like Marquez, Acosta labelled the opportunity as the best thing that could happen to him.
He said: “Did I end up in the lion’s den because Marc has always destroyed his teammates? I see it differently; I think it’s the best thing that could have happened to me.
“I’ll be the teammate of a rider with vast experience—in a new category, too (due to the rule changes)—and that can help me as a rider. I wouldn’t have had many other chances to be Marc’s teammate.”
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