KTM: Pedro Acosta told us 'I want to beat Marc Marquez with the same weapon'
Pedro Acosta told KTM his Ducati move was about challenging Marc Marquez on equal MotoGP machinery rather than bigger money offers.
KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister says he tried personally to convince Pedro Acosta to remain with the Austrian manufacturer for the 2027 MotoGP season.
However, the young Spaniard made clear it wasn’t a question of money but of taking on MotoGP legend Marc Marquez with the same machinery.
“It's not a secret, and [Acosta] would tell you the same, I tried personally to convince him to stay,” Neumeister said at the Red Bull Ring.
“I still have goosebumps, because he told me, ‘Gottfried, it's not about a million more or less. We’re seeing riders who are sitting on the best bike at the beginning of the season, just signing with other guys for money. This is for me not a racing spirit’.
'I want to beat Marc with the same weapon’
“He simply said, "I'm Spanish. Even if you have a better bike with the 850, and I'm winning on this one, I want to beat Marc with the same weapon’.
“Then, I mean, you're disarmed... This is such a great [character], and I will always have really the best feelings when I see him, and we will fight together up until the very last day.”
Acosta has signed a two-year deal to join reigning seven-time MotoGP champion Marquez at the factory Ducati team for the new 850cc/Pirelli era.
A KTM rider since Moto3, Acosta handed the factory an early farewell gift by claiming a maiden premier-class victory at its home Red Bull Ring round, KTM's first win since 2022. Acosta is currently fourth in the world championship.
Speaking earlier in the Austrian weekend, Neumeister was also keen to stress that Acosta’s performances cannot be separated from the work of KTM as a whole.
“Last weekend [at Misano] I called Pit [Beirer] because I got so upset, people were saying, ‘[Look] what Pedro is getting out of the bike!’ It's not only Pedro…
“If the bike is not there, you're unable to deliver this, and you would be on the last row. So I want to really underline this constant effort. Yes, you can have a great rider, but it's a team which makes the difference.”
With Acosta moving to Ducati and Brad Binder heading to WorldSBK, KTM will field an all-new factory line-up of satellite Ducati race winners Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio.
“I'm very confident with the [2027] riders - they wanted to come to us, and we also chose them. I really believe in those riders,” Neumeister said.
“We need to bring security to the [project]. We will have to make also some changes.
“This is continuous work, which will lead us in the long run to be successful. It’s not half-year, one year… We need to do it consistently.
“This is what I'm driving in the company: To constantly get better in execution, in data-driven analysis, we have to move in new ways.”
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.
