Pedro Acosta ‘trying not to get nervous in important moments’ in MotoGP

KTM’s Pedro Acosta says he is “trying not to get nervous in important moments” after a tense battle for the final podium spot in the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix sprint.

The Spaniard qualified fifth on the grid on Saturday and converted that into a narrow third in a tense battle for the final podium spot with Jack Miller, Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

This result comes just two weeks after Pedro Acosta threw a sprint podium away in a crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

Acosta says this weekend is the first time he has come to Phillip Island and “enjoyed it” on a MotoGP bike despite the fact it is “not the best” track for him.

“Phillip Island is not the best track for our bike, and not even the best for me, where normally I often close the corners early, and I’m not a corner speed guy,” he told TNT Sport.

“But I think we managed in a good way.

“We used our strong point when it was the moment, and just waited for our opportunity to take Jack and Alex.

“It’s true that at the end, Jack had more pace than the rest because I was listening to his bike for the last four laps behind.

“Anyway, I think it was a good race. Also, good passes. I think we need to make a step for tomorrow, but I think we are in a good way since the summer break.

“I think it’s the first time that I’ve come to Phillip Island and I’ve really enjoyed it on a big bike.

“The race today was not easy. Having Jack behind, he’s a guy who will always try, and he tried on the last corner.

“But we managed it in the best way. It’s true, like I say, it was not an easy weekend for KTM, struggling a lot to put bikes in Q2.

“And even to have good pace for four of us. For this, I think I am managing myself and also trying not to get nervous in important moments.”

Acosta backs decision not to move Australian GP to Sunday

Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix has been pushed back to 3pm local time (5am BST) due to high winds in the forecast.

Several riders expressed concerns on Friday about the conditions and spoke about the possibility of bringing the grand prix forward to Saturday.

Acosta didn’t back this idea and maintains that point of view despite the schedule tweak.

“I still think that if it’s only wind, it should not be that dangerous,” he noted.

“I remember when I raced here in 2023 [in Moto2], when it was raining and windy.

“This became more extreme. If the sun is out but only it’s wind around, I think it will be ok.”