RiderTua.com – Pedro Acosta successfully celebrated his first MotoGP podium in Portimao. The rookie from the GasGas Tech3 team started from 2nd position in the sprint and main race at COTA Texas after performing brilliantly in qualifying. In the sprint race, he even beat Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) and dueled against Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati) for 3rd place. But in the end Acosta touched the finish line in 4th place, losing 6.480 seconds to sprint winner Maverick Vinales (Aprilia).
Acosta’s debut in the premier class clearly invited admiration from fans, racing observers and also former top racers.
Racing Legends Impressed by Pedro Acosta!
Discussing Pedro Acosta’s development, Wayne Rainey (former 3 times 500 cc world champion) who is a MotoGP legend and has always been with Yamaha, said that he was very impressed with Acosta’s performance. That’s not always the case when a rookie comes in and battles against the top riders. According to him, in the first race he was in the front row but experienced some problems, but in the last race he was chasing Pecco, Marc and several other top riders but he managed to overtake them and not lose control.
Acosta looks better even than the more established drivers on the track. According to Rainey, Acosta will be a great talent and if he can stay in shape he will win the race more than once. “He’s going to be good for the championship and it’s going to be fun to watch,” Rainey said.
Meanwhile Kenny Roberts Sr. (former 3-time 500 cc world champion) emphasized that Acosta’s age is an element that will not have a significant impact during his rookie appearance. Roberts doesn’t see his age as a disadvantage or an advantage. That was the experience he had. “Obviously he has a lot of talent and he seems very mature,” said Kenny Roberts. So he doesn’t think age really matters.
Just like his father, his son Kenny Roberts Jr. also praised the racer nicknamed the Shark from Mazarron. He said that for him it was amazing to see his performance. He knows very well how difficult it is to adapt and ride a MotoGP motorbike. But all told, Acosta is doing a great job of any driver today.
Kevin Schwantz (500cc world champion) believes Acosta will get stronger and smarter as the 2024 season progresses. “He is the new name of the team and it makes me smile to see some of the young riders going so fast, and when the tires run out he is able to hang on and do the best he can do. It’s interesting, he will get better as time goes by, but he’s still fast,” concluded Schwantz.
