HODGSON SAYS ACOSTA SHOWS THE GAP BETWEEN ELITE AND TOP-LEVEL RIDERS

Pedro Acosta’s performances have highlighted a growing gap between the KTM rider and teammate Brad Binder, according to former racer and pundit Neil Hodgson. At the Qatar Grand Prix, Acosta qualified eighth, four places ahead of Binder, then finished sixth in both the Sprint and Grand Prix. Binder made no headway in the Sprint and retired from Sunday’s race with a technical problem. Acosta passed 300 championship points in Qatar; Binder had 118.

Speaking on the Gas it Out podcast before the event, Hodgson described Acosta as an “alien” who can compensate for the KTM’s shortcomings, while Binder is a “really good MotoGP rider” who cannot make the same difference. Acosta has beaten Binder in every one of the 13 races they have both finished, with an average advantage of more than 15 seconds. He has also taken a Grand Prix victory and seven podiums, or 11 including Sprint results, despite Hodgson’s assessment that KTM has the grid’s third-best bike.

Hodgson said Binder often reports that the bike becomes difficult to ride and the front tyre fades, yet Acosta can still contend near the front. “This is the perfect example of the difference between an alien and a really good MotoGP rider,” he said. Hodgson added that when Binder is around 18 seconds behind the winner, Acosta can be on the podium on the same machine and “made the difference.”

He sees a comparable contrast at Yamaha. Fabio Quartararo has outscored Alex Rins, Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu combined by one point, 79 to 78, despite all four riders describing problems with grip and tyre performance. “All four riders say it, but Fabio Quartararo’s 10 seconds ahead of them,” Hodgson said.

KTM boss Pit Beirer has said Acosta is the only rider providing clear feedback about the bike. The Spaniard’s crew chief has also praised the team’s talent, while saying Acosta is the one who consistently puts everything together across a race weekend. Binder has acknowledged that Acosta makes the KTM look “a hell of a lot better” than it is.

Binder is set to leave KTM and MotoGP at the end of the year, moving to BMW to race in World Superbikes.