Pedro Acosta’s “nice” Marc Marquez battle ends with unwanted MotoGP record

Pedro Acosta took the fight to Marc Marquez during Sunday's Hungarian MotoGP, leading for 12 laps before eventually settling for second place.

After Marquez led from start to finish in the Sprint, the KTM star gambled on the soft rear tyre to try and break the Ducati rider’s dominance in the grand prix.

“We had two different [tyre] strategies, it didn’t work like I expect, but I still think it was the correct choice,” Acosta reflected.

“I tried the medium tyre on Friday and Saturday and it was not really working. Then I was only having the chance for the soft.

“We followed the plan and it  was the first time in MotoGP that I was able to make a gap beginning of the race.

“It’s true that after mid-race I start to drop a bit, having a lot of movements and sliding a bit more.

“Anyway, the battle was quite good for the fans and, even myself inside the bike.”

Marquez, who had been saving his strength on the medium, began to threaten from mid-distance.

When the inevitable attack came, Acosta made clear he wasn’t going to roll over and surrender.

Twice the younger Spaniard re-passed Marquez before the nine-time world champion prevailed.

“Super nice always to battle with the champ,” Acosta said of his future Ducati team-mate.

“At the end, it’s never easy to try to re-overtake a guy with that experience like Marc. I enjoyed.

“He was super fast. Anyway, I never give up and if he passed me, I tried to pass him back. The problem was that the last one he blocked me.

“Always nice to battle with Marc. Really clean overtakes, some contact but inside the legal side.”

Acosta was 1.3s behind Marquez at the chequered flag, but almost ten-seconds clear of next best Pecco Bagnaia.

Although a Sprint winner at Buriram, Acosta is still chasing a premier-class grand prix victory.

Acosta’s 13th podium means he takes over the record from Colin Edwards as the most successful rider not to have won a MotoGP race.

“I think it will arrive soon. It’s a matter of trying and a matter of keep believing.”

Acosta remains fourth in the world championship but is now just six points behind top Ducati rider Fabio di Giannantonio.