JORGE LORENZO CALLS PEDRO ACOSTA AN “ALIEN” AFTER AUSTRIAN GP WIN

Jorge Lorenzo has hailed Pedro Acosta’s Austrian Grand Prix win as one of the most remarkable results in modern bike racing, arguing that the KTM rider’s success is only possible for an “alien.” Speaking on DAZN, the three-time MotoGP champion said Acosta’s performance at the Red Bull Ring proved he belongs in the same conversation as Marc Marquez, Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi—riders Lorenzo described as the all-time greats who can overcome clear mechanical disadvantages.

Acosta’s victory ended a run of 15 podiums without a win, and it came after he crashed out of the Sprint lead 24 hours earlier. Lorenzo pointed to the context of the win, noting that Acosta is the only rider outside Ducati and Aprilia to have won a Grand Prix this season. He also highlighted how rare a dry-weather win has been for a non-Italian machine, calling it the first such success since Alex Rins for LCR Honda at the 2023 Americas GP.

Lorenzo’s comparison drew on the way past “aliens” have dominated even when their machinery or team situation wasn’t expected to deliver top results. “Only aliens can win with a clear mechanical disadvantage, as Pedro has managed, like Marc did with Honda or Casey with Ducati,” Lorenzo said. He added: “It’s like a miracle, because that bike isn’t meant to win.”

The win lifted Acosta to fourth in the standings with 234 points. Lorenzo noted the scale of the gap to KTM’s other challengers, with the next-best KTM rider, Enea Bastianini, sitting 12th on 97 points. He also stressed Acosta’s dominance within KTM’s season, saying the 22-year-old has taken nine of their 10 podiums across the two race formats. Lorenzo further referenced KTM’s drought before Acosta’s breakthrough, describing him as the team’s first winner since Miguel Oliveira four years earlier.

Lorenzo said he recognized Acosta’s special ability early, adding that he “knew from the beginning” the Spaniard was a “phenomenon,” pointing to the fact that Acosta scored a podium in just his second MotoGP race.