Francesco Bagnaia spoke to Speed Week about his rivals. Pedro Acosta, who has been one of the highlights of the season, was mentioned by the MotoGP world champion.
The Italian rider spoke about his riding style and how surprising it was to have a rookie fighting for the top spots in the standings.
– I never thought that rookies couldn’t be at the front. I always try to learn from the rookies because they always bring something new and different. At the moment, I’m studying Pedro’s corner entry. It’s a new style that changes the way you approach a corner. He does a great job, there’s no fear or pressure. He has nothing to lose and can just enjoy himself. That works well for him. This year, too, KTM is strong, even on tracks where it wasn’t in previous years. So you can always learn from a man like him. That was also the case when Martin came to MotoGP in 2021. He was very strong, but unfortunately he had a serious accident in the third race. But we also have to be open to learning from younger riders.
The Ducati Lenovo Team rider spoke about his experience of being a rookie in the premier class: ‘My first season was very difficult. I didn’t have a factory bike and technically I was behind. But in 2020 I got a factory bike (at Pramac) and I was already on the podium in the second race at Jerez. And Jerez has always been a track where Ducati wasn’t competitive. But it was possible, as we proved. With my riding style and with a radical change in the engine braking philosophy, compared to Dovizioso in the past.’