Pedro Acosta: I'm Joining Ducati to Learn from Marc Marquez, Not to Beat Him
)
Pedro Acosta has firmly dismissed suggestions that a desire to beat Marc Marquez on identical machinery was the driving factor behind his switch to the factory Ducati team. The young Spaniard stressed that his primary goal is to learn from his illustrious compatriot rather than pursue a rivalry at all costs.
Acosta's comments come in response to recent remarks by KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister. The Austrian marque's chief claimed he attempted to retain the prodigy for MotoGP's new era, but neither a lucrative pay rise nor promises of a competitive bike could sway him. According to Neumeister, the Spaniard allegedly stated that money was irrelevant and that he wanted to defeat Marquez using the same machinery.
Speaking to motorsport.com during the Indonesian Grand Prix weekend, Acosta set the record straight, revealing that proper contract negotiations with KTM never actually got off the ground.
"The truth is, I never negotiated with KTM. They made an offer and I turned it down. They tried to persuade me, but I made it clear my mind was made up. When I wanted to leave last year, they held my contract over me. I told them that under no circumstances and for no amount of money would I put myself in that situation again. They made a counter-offer, but we didn't even consider it. It was the easiest decision of my life," Acosta explained regarding his deal to join the factory Ducati squad from 2027.
"The only goal my manager, Albert Valera, and I had was to secure the best bike and the strongest team of the past decade. It's not about beating Marc at all. The only reason I want to share a garage with him is because I won't get another chance to learn from the greatest rider in history, or at least the past 15 years. Even if he beats me on track, having him alongside me will do far more good for my long-term career than any potential defeats could ever hurt me," the Spaniard added regarding his future partnership with Marquez.
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
&format=webp)
&format=webp)
&format=webp)
&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)