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Pedro Acosta in his premier class debut put on a show and did not spare himself. From ninth in the sprint to eighth in the race on Sunday, the Spanish enfant prodige, fresh from his title in Moto2, ran over MotoGP like a tsunami and did not disappoint expectations, struggling in the top five until the tires could no longer keep up with his irrepressible impetuosity. In his battle he thusalso clashed with a certain Marc Marquez, resulting in a generational duel that satisfied the fans'hunger for spectacle. A duel then lost by a mistake, "a rookie mistake," the eight-time world champion would later say, later praising his undeniably crystalline talent. In his approach in MotoGP Acosta had told reporters that to race in the premier class you needed to "put your balls on the tank," and if this is just the beginning in this season Pedro Acosta will certainly know how to say his piece.
"Coming to the first race and overtaking a lot of people is what I liked most about this race, " he told reporters , "I came close, when there were about 15 laps to go I was within reach. But at the end I made a mistake, it couldn't have been all that good. I did the first lap in 11th position and in 10 laps I was fourth, so I'm satisfied."
Of overtaking in the race there were many, Which one did you like the most?
"I liked them all, in general, because they were the first ones I did. It was since Moto3 that I didn't feel so confident in overtaking. In Moto2 I could overtake a lot and pretty much where I wanted. But that confidence to go behind, to be able to launch myself and know that the bike would stop and everything would be okay, I haven't had that for three years. I'm happy with the race."
There was no shortage of difficulties, however.
"Maybe I didn't manage the race well, between fuel and tires, but overall it went well. As for the start, it went better than in the sprint, but when Miller passed me really fast the bike lost stability. There were a lot of people everywhere around me and I lost a lot of time in the braking before I stabilized and restarted, it's clear that his bike was better performing."
What lessons did you get from this first approach to the long MotoGP race ?
"At the pit stop I saw that Binder Martin and Marquez were increasing the pace and I was behind them. That was important, because in the sprint I was behind Alex, whiletoday I was following riders like Martin and Marquez, who ride with a very different style . That's something that makes a difference when you ride on slower circuits, on that pace I felt better and had more control. That's why I tried to overtake especially in Turns 6 and 16, where it was more difficult. Overtaking was more difficult than I expected in the sprint, where we all had a smaller tank in the sprint and the bike was much more responsive. It was moving more and everyone was faster. Today, on the other hand, with more weight, the bike was more stable and the tires too. I definitely took steps forward in terms of experience, and overtaking was easier."
The duel with Marc then, though brief, was perhaps the pivotal moment in your race performance.
"It lasted just long enough. It's like when you lose your virginity: everything starts to be good and then it's a disaster - he jokes - Today could not have ended so well. I'm satisfied, coming to the first race and overtaking many people is what I enjoyed the most. It wasn't just about overtaking Marc. Overtaking people, having the pace and being there was what I enjoyed the most."
Were you very tired at the end of the race?
"We still have to improve, they brought a new device here and I think it was a little far for my small hand, and also a little high. For the next race, we will have to have a modified lever so that it goes lower, because it was too far for me. It wasn't particularly tiring though, I had no pain in my forearms, just a little discomfort."
