English
Italiano
Pedro Acosta is a fast learner and, in his second MotoGP Grand Prix, he’s already satisfied his desire of standing on the podium and being the first KTM rider (his GasGas is nothing more than a rebranded RC16) at the finish line. "I'm super happy. I was out of the Q2 on Friday afternoon!" the Spanish rider recalled with a smile that was worth a thousand words.
His growth is undeniable and, in Portimão, he won his first challenge. He hadn’t tested on this circuit, but he has demonstrated that he already has a good understanding of how the MotoGP works, although his margins are still wide.
"I think my team is working very well. I’m not the easiest person on a race weekend. I get irritated easily," he admitted "They’re leading me in the right direction, and they work really hard into the night. I wake up every morning, and I have twenty or thirty messages from my technicians.”
Pedro, however, also puts his own spin on things, and he did it again today. During the race, he didn’t not only think about the best result, but also about his own growth. When he followed Bagnaia, he wasn’t only a rival but also a student.
"It helped me a lot to be behind Pecco," he explained. "I was able to observe him, because he’s one of the riders who wears out his tires the least, unlike me in Qatar. I saw that he plays a lot with his body, rotates his feet in a strange way, and gains in the first meters of acceleration. I also tried to do that."
Then he overtook him.
"I tried it a first time, and he overtook me again. I liked it," he got excited in the battle. "I had to struggle a little to do it, because I was going wide at the first corner. So I tried to do it better, to get ready for turn three, and get the chance to pass him."
He accomplished the mission and reached the podium, also in part thanks to Viñales’ technical problem, which doesn't, however, take one iota of credit away from Acosta. If anything, it gives Binder and Miller, who came in behind him, something to think about.
"This doesn't mean anything right now," Pedro stressed, "It's certainly not a won battle. Brad struggled last year here, as he did last season, but I'm sure there will bemore favorable circuits for him. Jack had a difficult weekend, just like last year. I think we have a lot to learn from them."
