The MotoGP grid gaffe that left Pedro Acosta “really struggling” in Aragon Sprint
Pedro Acosta says he was left “really struggling” after making a mistake on the grid for the Aragon MotoGP Sprint.
An unfortunate mistake had lasting consequences for Pedro Acosta, who finished fourth in the Aragon MotoGP Sprint.
Acosta started sixth, so progressed two positions in the 11-lap Sprint at MotorLand, but an error arriving to the grid cost him part of his bike.
Acosta had to get off his KTM in order to push it into the correct position, and in the process of dismounting and remounting the RC16 he dislodged one of the bike’s seat wings, which cost him performance in the high-speed turns.
“I was making many mistakes around the race,” Pedro Acosta said after the Aragon MotoGP Sprint.
“I think I have a bit more potential, being honest, but it's what it is. I mean, I find that this time the bike was feeling quite good.
“It's true that I made a mistake on the grid, I lost my position and then I have to jump off the bike, pull it back, be in my position, and then I broke one wing that I have behind my ass [seat wing].
“I was really struggling to turn in the fast right corners, like two, three, and 13, and I think it's for that reason [the missing wing]. Also, then I go wide in turn eight, and Martin passed me back – and then we have a fight, and we lose a bit.
“For this, I think we were able to make it better.”
There were still positives to take for Acosta, though, most notably his late race pace, which saw him take almost a second out of Marco Bezzecchi in the last two laps, although he came up just short of the podium.
“But anyway, quite happy also because it's the first time in my MotoGP career that I make my fastest lap of the race in the last lap,” the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider said.
“For this, quite happy that we make fourth after how tough it was yesterday.”
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
