Bagnaia Triumphs at Japanese GP – Acosta Crashes Again
Francesco Bagnaia secures his first win at the Japanese Grand Prix as Martin & Marquez complete the podium after another…
Pedro Acosta’s determination to challenge Ducati’s dominance in MotoGP was clear at the Japanese Grand Prix, where the KTM rookie claimed his first-ever pole position.
Despite showing race-winning pace in both the sprint and main race, Acosta’s weekend ended in disappointment after crashes in both. Still, the 20-year-old refuses to concede that Ducati has the upper hand, believing his KTM has what it takes to fight at the front.
“I’m not going to accept that the Ducati is better than the KTM, even if that leads to me crashing some more times,” Acosta said after the race. “We know that we’re not at Ducati’s level at the moment. But we’ve seen that it’s not impossible to get there and that they’re not untouchable. We can fight with them.”
While the rookie’s aggressive approach to face the Ducatis didn’t pay off at Motegi, he remains certain that aggressively pushing to fight the Ducatis is the only way forward.
“There is little chance of beating the Ducati,” Acosta admitted. “But there are times in life when you have to gamble. And even more so when Pecco is in front. He’s not going to risk it, but I am.”
In reflecting on the Japanese GP, the Spaniard described the weekend as both the “saddest” of his career and the one where he felt the most competitive. His ambition and pace were undeniable, but the crashes ultimately robbed him of what could have been his maiden MotoGP win.
“It’s the weekend on which I’ve been most competitive, but also the one on which I’ve created the most trouble,” he said.
Acosta’s performance not only highlighted his own potential but also emphasized the importance of KTM improving its consistency. Dani Pedrosa, KTM’s test rider, recently praised Acosta for emerging as a leader within the team on the Duralavita podcast, and the rookie’s belief in the factory’s ability to close the gap to Ducati is a key part of that evolution. Acosta acknowledged the need for more KTMs at the front to help gather crucial data for the next rounds.
“It’s important for us [to have more KTMs at the front],” Acosta explained. “When the gaps are too big [to other KTM riders], it’s difficult to compare sometimes and come up with things to try, because the lap times are quite different.”
