Rookie Pedro Acosta has until the German Grand Prix in July to become MotoGP’s youngest-ever race winner, replacing Marc Marquez.
“Pedro Acosta has been cautious in making any public predictions ahead of his rookie MotoGP campaign. Not surprisingly, he also downplayed his chances of breaking Marc Marquez’s record as the youngest premier-class race winner.
However, just before his debut race in Qatar this weekend, Marquez himself confidently stated that ‘of course’ Acosta can achieve this feat.
Marquez secured his first MotoGP victory in only his second race at COTA 2013, when he was 20 years and 63 days old.
Teenager Acosta, whose achievements in the junior classes even surpass Marquez’s with two world titles in just three seasons, now has until the Sachsenring (round ten) to potentially become an even younger MotoGP winner.
“Well, I don’t think so,” Acosta replied when asked about breaking the record. “At the end, it’s a different MotoGP era.
“The bikes change significantly within a group during a race, and the challenge lies in maneuvering within the pack. I’ve done plenty of laps, but I haven’t had the experience of racing in such conditions, among numerous other bikes.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge. There are high expectations from everyone, but expectations alone don’t determine outcomes.
“You can discuss and speculate about this, but this MotoGP era – it’s distinct from the time when our careers began. That’s why it’s not the moment to fixate on this record.”
Seated next to Acosta on Thursday in Qatar, Marquez disagreed with any doubts about Acosta’s potential.
“I mean, [Acosta] showed that he’s a super talent in Moto3, Moto2, in the first [MotoGP] test in Sepang and also here in Qatar [test],” he remarked.
“When you are a super talent, you take a bike and you are fast. And many rookies in the past have taken podiums and victories, so that means he can break my record, of course.
“And I say always, he will be [a leading] part of MotoGP in the future years.”
The most recent rookie MotoGP winner, regardless of age, was Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin, who achieved victory in his sixth Grand Prix start during the 2021 season.
Brad Binder was the only rookie to achieve this on a KTM RC16, accomplishing the feat in his third race of 2020.
However, Acosta remains grounded.
“We cannot talk about targets even when I haven’t raced a MotoGP yet,” remarked the GASGAS Tech3 star. “In the end, it’s going to be an exciting journey, with plenty of unknowns for me until the lights go out. I don’t know. We will aim to savor every moment.”
The 19-year-old, celebrating his birthday on May 25, is set to embark on his first official MotoGP practice session at the Lusail International Circuit on Friday afternoon.
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