“Nothing to lose” - Pedro Acosta “taking more risks” in pursuit of KTM MotoGP win
Pedro Acosta says he is “taking more risks” as he chases a maiden MotoGP grand prix victory before leaving KTM.
Too far back to fight for the title, Pedro Acosta says he is “taking more risks” in pursuit of a maiden MotoGP grand prix victory before leaving KTM.
The young Spaniard, who will join Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati team next season, finished runner-up to his future team-mate last time out at Aragon.
Acosta, who ended a Sprint victory drought at the Buriram opener, has now finished second in a premier-class grand prix on eight occasions.
He arrives at Misano this weekend sixth in the world championship, 67 points behind leader Jorge Martin and 43 behind third-placed Marco Bezzecchi.
“We’re not working in a different way. It’s just we’re taking more risks,” Acosta said at Misano on Thursday. “Now we have nothing to lose.
“We’re far from the championship leader - not so far from third place in the championship so we still have a target - but we’re not working differently, we’re just taking more risks, changing more the bike, going up, down, whatever we need.
“I’m quite happy with the way we’re taking risks. Now I’m more able to understand if something’s not going as I expect. I’m able to take a step back.
“I’ll have a long winter to think about 2027. Until the last day of the year I’m a KTM rider. For this I’ll just try and bring the best possible result home.”
The best possible result is, of course, a race victory.
“For sure if I don’t get it, it’s not because I didn’t try,” said Acosta. “I’m making a big difference compared to the other KTMs, I’m constantly in the top five and I’m pushing KTM more in the past to bring results home.
“But we have to understand Aprilia and Ducati are one or two steps in front of everyone. Then Honda is really fast at the moment. we’re with Honda and Yamaha. We have to be clear with that.
“I hope in some tracks it [a victory] will happen but I’ll go away happy if no one has the chance to think I was not giving everything in these three years.”
Asked which of the remaining rounds might offer his best chance, Acosta pointed towards the upcoming flyaways.
“Normally, Japan we’re quite fast. if you take Asia overall we’re quite competitive in every track -if you take out Phillip Island, where I struggled.
“At the moment I’m happy because we’re much more consistent in reliability. And we’re not having any issues. First thing’s done.
“Now it’s time to try and bring some performance.”
Acosta finished fifth in last year’s Misano Sprint before a broken chain forced him out of the grand prix.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
