KTM has in Pedro Acosta its best man so far in MotoGP, but this Spanish GP will be very special and the manufacturer will have another very strong rider on the bike, none other than Dani Pedrosa, making an appearance as a wildcard. The veteran, test rider for the Austrians, will be keeping an eye on the rookie, as he himself confessed.
Both riders, from different generations, met with DAZN in a live program and exchanged compliments, with Pedrosa praising the young Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rider, saying that he is doing even better than expected: ‘I would like to emphasize that there were many expectations about Pedro, how well he could do, how strong he was coming from Moto2, but he is exceeding even those expectations’.
After the Austin round, Pedrosa’s compliments continued, with #26 jokingly saying he hopes to have the “help” of #31: ‘What a race, it was a spectacle to see that start of the race. It was a luxury to see you fighting for the win and you must be very proud; In three races you were on the podium twice. I hope you give me a tow! It would be the other way around, you’re learning, but with the speed you’re going, it will be my turn to follow you’.
This comment shows that Acosta’s speed is not going unnoticed, as the 19-year-old rider has already achieved two podiums in three rounds this season, while Acosta himself praised Pedrosa, whom he believes is one of the main reasons why the KTM RC16 is such a competitive bike, saying:
– I don’t believe this is going to happen. We still have a lot to learn, especially what I said: we are taking advantage of the Saturday races to see how it will be on Sunday, because the Saturday race helped us see that with the soft tire we wouldn’t be able to. They are giving us a bike that rides spectacularly, almost without moving. Let’s see if, little by little, I can also tune it!
