Pedro Acosta Finishes Sixth at Qatar GP Despite Running Close to Marc Márquez
Pedro Acosta delivered a strong performance at the Qatar Grand Prix, ultimately finishing sixth after running wheel-to-wheel with Marc Márquez and vying for a podium position. The KTM rider showed promise throughout the race but was unable to maintain his challenge due to recurring issues that hindered his pace.
The weekend proved challenging for Acosta, who struggled notably during Saturday’s Sprint Race with tyre pressure problems. These difficulties resurfaced on Sunday, preventing him from capitalising on his early race momentum. Acosta was engaged in a fierce battle for third place alongside Márquez but was eventually forced to concede, which effectively ended his podium hopes.
Reflecting on the race, Acosta shared insights into the technical challenges he faced: “Yes, but this time there was no problem with tyre pressure. I would say something else happened that worsened the situation. Today, I’m happy with the decision we made. Now is the time to understand why I had the first problem and why it appeared, because it shouldn’t have happened. I was running the same setup all weekend and never had this issue before. We need to analyse what happened.” He expressed satisfaction with the team’s risk-taking approach: “I’m satisfied with the decision to take the risk. We turned the weekend around compared to how we started, and today we had real chances to finish in the top four. I’m happy with how I managed the situation.”
Acosta believes he could have achieved a better
Acosta believes he could have achieved a better result than sixth place. “As I said, I think I could have finished in the top four, close to fighting for the front positions. I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with Marc because after mid-race he showed a very strong pace. I don’t know, as I was already too far from Fernández. I also don’t know how many seconds I finished behind him, but it could easily have been five seconds. That’s too much to say I could have battled with him. In any case, I could have secured a solid fourth place.”
Regarding Marc Márquez’s race strategy, Acosta observed the Ducati rider’s cautious approach early on. “In my opinion, at the beginning, he was riding very smoothly. He wasn’t trying to win but just to finish the race properly and with good feelings. I think he was conserving the tyres a lot. Also, his pace was considerably slower than the two Aprilias ahead. Maybe he had much more tyre life left than Fernández.”
Despite the setbacks, Acosta remains optimistic, focusing on analysing the issues that compromised his performance and preparing for stronger showings ahead. His ability to stay competitive against experienced riders like Márquez highlights his growing potential within MotoGP’s fiercely contested grid.
