Pedro Acosta turned 22 last May, 11 years younger than the man who will occupy the other side of the Ducati garage when Acosta makes his first appearance on the Desmosedici.
That will happen at the test on 1 December, two days after this season comes to an end and, with it, Acosta’s relationship with KTM – a six-year partnership which, barring anything that happens between now and then, will have delivered two Moto3 titles (2021 and 2023) and a Moto2 crown (2023).
Alongside those achievements, however, there will be a bittersweet feeling at having been unable to fight for the MotoGP title, the goal that initially prompted him to commit his future to the Austrian company as its flagship rider, before eventually jumping aboard the train driven by Marquez, the undisputed reference point of the championship and a rider widely regarded as the greatest of all time.
It is a formidable challenge that, according to Acosta, deserves to be approached calmly, without rushing and, just as importantly, without short-term expectations that could first lead to anxiety and then to frustration.
“I have no idea what I’m going to find in that garage, but I don’t feel any pressure. Marc is in the final stretch of his career and I’m just starting mine,” Acosta said during an in-depth interview with Motorsport.com, which will be published in the coming days.
In the interview, Acosta explained the thought process that eventually led him to end his association with the Mattighofen-based company, after reaching the conclusion that his dream of winning the MotoGP title with KTM does not appear to be feasible either in the short or medium term.
Despite that, the #37 is fully aware that he will be arriving in a garage that Marquez has made his own through sheer merit, and where the reigning champion feels completely at home.
“Marc knows everyone at the factory, and I’ll need time to adapt to a completely Italian garage after spending six years at KTM. I’m facing a completely new chapter, so I don’t feel any pressure,” Acosta stressed.
The Spaniard has planned his arrival at the Borgo Panigale outfit in two stages, coinciding with the two years he has currently signed for.
“Luckily, I’ll be there for at least two years. So I’ll have time to find my rhythm in the first year and see what happens in the second,” the Spaniard warned.
Acosta is currently seventh in the championship standings, 77 points behind leader Jorge Martin and 37 adrift of Marquez, who sits fourth.
Despite the irreverent image he often projects, Acosta adopts a deliberately low-key stance when asked to assess his move to the manufacturer that has won the last five MotoGP riders’ championships and which has chosen to put its faith in him despite the fact that he is yet to claim a premier-class victory.
His record over the two and a half years he has spent in MotoGP comprises 13 podium finishes, two pole positions and three fastest laps – modest figures compared with the very top riders, but comfortably superior to those of any of his KTM team-mates.
“I’m very grateful to Ducati for allowing me to be part of its project, despite the fact that I haven’t won a MotoGP race yet,” Acosta concluded.
