ACOSTA RECAPTURES HIS 2024 MOTEGI FEELING AS HE EYES ANOTHER WIN

Pedro Acosta says Friday at Motegi brought back the feeling he had at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, where he claimed his first MotoGP pole. The KTM rider arrives seeking another strong result after earning his maiden grand prix victory at the Red Bull Ring two weeks ago. He described the sensation as “quite similar” as he targets a second consecutive win.

Acosta was second-fastest on Friday and said the bike and team were working well. “Quite similar feeling to 2024 and much better than 2025, so happy,” he said. He added that the team had found a good base bike for the start of a weekend, leaving them to focus on fine-tuning it. “Quite happy about how the thing is working.”

Motegi has offered both promise and disappointment for Acosta. In 2024 he was in contention before crashing from the lead in the Sprint and from second in the grand prix; he also finished on the Sprint podium last year. He said the resurfaced circuit and Michelin’s different, harder tyre compounds may help explain why this weekend feels unlike 2025.

Acosta said tyre management has improved over the season. Although he was competitive last year—qualifying fourth, finishing second on Friday and reaching the Sprint podium—he had to work hard to preserve his tyres. “Looks like it’s not the same situation [as] last year,” he said.