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Jorge Lorenzo is convinced. Pedro Acosta will win at least one race this season. Since the Spanish rider is able to instantly get in tune with a bike that's more challenging like the MotoGP, he performed well in the first two rounds of the championship, reaching the podium in the Sprint Race in Portimão. Despite some physical difficulties experienced in Qatar, the 2023 Moto 2 Champion impressed everyone with his solidity and consistency in performance.
Therefore, going a bit further beyond predictions, the five-time world champion has even identified the race in which the 19-year-old will make a difference.
"Whether it's on Saturday or Sunday, I see him ahead of everyone else in Jerez," he told DAZN, indicating late April as the earliest date. "Elsewhere, it could rain, there could be technical malfunctions, or they could throw away a win. But, on the Spanish track, I think he could really have his say. He'll be more prepared and, historically, KTM GasGas does very well there. At least they did very well last year, so I think it's a very good opportunity."
In Portugal, the rider from Mazarron became the third youngest to reach the top three in the premier class.
At the time, the 36-year-old called him a prodigy and emphasized his ability to entertain spectators. "You kept us on edge, from start to finish, with those overtakes. The reality is that you made history. You have extraordinary potential," he said, speaking directly to him, before briefly dwelling on his weaknesses. "I think you need to improve at the start. In addition, I noticed how the rear vibrates when entering corners, which could probably be attributed to the bike. Also, in entering, with the engine brake, I think the rear slips excessively."
To that, the talented rider replied, "Maybe I used too much engine brake, especially at turn fifteen, because I couldn't get close to Bagnaia. There are several aspects to fix. Maybe, in the last few corners, the bike got a little too soft, and that made me lose grip on the rear, which is crucial with all the aerodynamics. We made progress in terms of stability in exiting, but there's still some margin. We need to focus on the electronics, since a lot of the vibration comes from that."
