Dani Pedrosa has given his take on Pedro Acosta’s future in MotoGP, and it sounds like a warning to Marc Marquez before the two Spaniards line up together at Ducati next year.
There aren’t many riders who have spent more time alongside Marc Marquez than Dani Pedrosa. And with all of that seat time comes experience few can match.
Pedrosa spent six seasons as Marquez’s teammate at Honda, retiring in 2018 after watching first-hand what made the younger rider one of the sport’s most dominant figures.
And his current role as a test rider for KTM keeps him close to the top of the sport. He’s still working regularly with KTM to develop both bikes and riders.
And with Pedro Acosta on his way to Ducati, having Pedrosa as an advisor is only going to help as he prepares for what will be the biggest challenge of his career so far.
Dani Pedrosa predicts Pedro Acosta is ‘entering his prime’ in MotoGP
Speaking to Diario AS, Pedrosa was asked whether Acosta had already reached the level of stardom that’s rare even among elite riders.
When asked directly if Acosta has reached the status of a ‘top rider’, Pedrosa replied: “Among the riders on the grid, given his age and the generation he’s racing in… I think he does. And we’ll see, because in the coming years he’ll be entering his prime.
“He’s very young, he’s moving into a new category, as you mentioned earlier, and I think he’ll be able to develop much further there.
“After that, he’ll also have to compete with the generation coming up behind him, but I think he’ll be one of the riders who’ll always be at the front in the coming years.”
With Acosta set to join Ducati next season, one of his first real challenges will be how well he can measure up against Marquez now that they’re both on equal bikes.
MotoGP legend Giacomo Agostini has already expressed his anticipation for their matchup. He expects it will light up Spain and provide fans with plenty to talk about throughout 2025.
Pedro Acosta reflects on working with Dani Pedrosa at KTM
In a recent joint interview with Pedrosa for Pont Grup, Acosta was asked about his relationship with the MotoGP legend and how it has evolved during their time together at KTM.
When asked, in a light-hearted way, whether Pedrosa ever bosses him around inside the KTM garage, Acosta said, “I think the good thing is that we have similar views on a lot of things – the bike, the people, all sorts of things – so it’s really easy to find a middle ground.
“I remember the first year I raced in MotoGP; they brought a chassis to Misano, which I hadn’t tested. And when the other riders didn’t like it, I asked, ‘OK, Dani, what’s the deal?’ He said: ‘Yes, race with that.’ So I asked KTM to bring it to me for Indonesia. I’ll race with that.”
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