Ducati reveals Marc Marquez’s reaction to Pedro Acosta MotoGP deal

Ducati MotoGP team manager Davide Tardozzi says Marc Marquez “clapped his hands” when he was informed the Italian manufacturer was trying to sign Pedro Acosta.

The reigning champion team announced earlier this week that it had signed Pedro Acosta to a two-year deal to bring him over from KTM.

It’s a deal that has been done for some time, but an official announcement was delayed due to the ongoing discussions between MotoGP and the manufacturers over a new contract.

A line-up of seven-time champion Marc Marquez and a generational young talent in Acosta has already generated a lot of buzz, not least for the prospect of the pair locking horns on equal machinery.

Tardozzi says Marquez did not step in the way of negotiations between Ducati and Acosta, and said “you’ve made the right decision” when he was first told.

“Was an easy decision,” Tardozzi said of signing Acosta.

“Marc never said anything about his team-mate, and when we told him we are dealing with Pedro, he clapped his hands and said, ‘Ok, you’ve made the right decision’

‘Never any doubts…’

Ducati also confirmed Marquez’s new two-year deal ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.

There had been suggestions earlier this year that Marquez was reticent to sign a two-year deal as he continued to recover from a shoulder injury.

But Tardozzi says there were no doubts within Ducati that he wouldn’t re-sign long-term.

“I think that, honestly, he was afraid about his health,” he said.

“But we never had doubts about him because he was very clear with us, showing us all the things he was doing through all of the medical people, through all of the medical staff, an incredibly huge staff at a very high level in Madrid.

“So, we’ve always been informed about that and I think that there were no doubts for us to go on with him.”

On the prospect of managing two top talents in Marquez and Acosta, Tardozzi added: “I already managed two great champions, because Pecco is one of them.

“So, we are used to it and we’re very, very happy to have this strong team for the next two years.”