Pedro Acosta left his mark on the Japanese Grand Prix with a series of impressive performances, but also spectacular crashes. The 20-year-old, often compared to legend Kevin Schwantz for his bold and unpredictable style, had an intense weekend at Motegi, going from pole position to gravel in the blink of an eye. With this series of mishaps, Acosta overtook Marc Marquez in the crash statistics, a new unenviable record but indicative of his unwavering commitment.
The weekend in Motegi started on a positive note for Acosta, who took his first pole position in MotoGP. In the excitement of the moment, he seemed set to take his first victory in the premier class. But reality caught up with him during the Sprint : while he was leading the race, Acosta lost control of his KTM RC16, painted in the GASGAS colours, ending up in the gravel and letting the coveted victory slip away.
History repeated itself the next day in the race, when he tried to follow Pecco Bagnaia. A new fall has deprived Acosta of a podium, while giving him the unofficial title of "king of falls" of 2024 with 22 track exits, against 21 for Marc Marquez.
Pedro Acosta: Between Prowess and Fall, the Spanish Rookie Electrifies
Yet these misadventures do not obscure the rise ofAcosta this season. Since the Aragon round, his adaptation to the MotoGP category has accelerated. Surrounded by the team Tech3 and supported by technicians from KTM, Acosta has managed to overcome the turbulence of the summer season and reduce the gap with the Ducati dominant, although this sometimes cost him consistency. In eight races, he signed two podiums and the fastest lap in Japan.
Currently, Acosta is fighting for fifth place in the general classification, an ambitious but achievable objective with only two points behind Brad Binder, his future teammate. The duel between the two men to become the best driver not Ducati of the season promises to be thrilling. Although he is still far from the title fight, the Spanish rookie remains focused on his progression, leaving speculation about his first victory hanging.
With his appearance in Motegi, Peter Acosta confirmed that he was much more than just a hope. He embodies a driver with raw talent, ready to push the limits to forge his myth in MotoGP. Falls are part of the game for Acosta, and as he has demonstrated throughout the season, they are just a price to pay in his quest for victory. The title of "king of falls" in no way overshadows his potential: he knows that the key lies in resilience, and that it takes much more than that to reach the top.
