LORENZO WANTS TO SEE HOW ACOSTA MEASURES UP TO MARQUEZ AT DUCATI

Jorge Lorenzo is keen to see how quickly Pedro Acosta can measure up to Marc Marquez when the two Spaniards become teammates at Ducati in 2027. The three-time MotoGP champion believes Acosta has the ability to carry the sport’s leading role into the next generation, but says a direct comparison on equal machinery will be revealing.

Acosta has established himself as KTM’s leading rider despite the bike’s struggles to match the front-running machinery. His battles with Marquez this season have offered a preview of their coming contest, although Lorenzo cautions that moving from KTM to Ducati will bring its own adjustment period.

Asked by GPOne what advice he would give Acosta before facing Marquez, Lorenzo said the key was to focus on riding rather than outside distractions. “When you manage to put everything else aside and focus solely on your performance, sooner or later the results will follow,” he said. He added that Acosta has “all the characteristics and qualities to become the next Marquez and carry on his legacy.”

Lorenzo also pointed to the difference in their circumstances. Marquez will have greater experience on Ducati, and Lorenzo called him “a phenomenon.” The older rider will be 34 next year, while Acosta’s youth, fitness and willingness to take risks could work in his favour. Lorenzo noted that Acosta is 23, has rarely been injured and is “physically 100 per cent fit.”

“I don’t know; I’m curious to see whether Acosta will manage to reach Márquez’s level straight away, or even surpass him,” Lorenzo said. He expects the challenge to be difficult, but believes their performances could be close: “In my opinion, their performance levels will be fairly close.”

Acosta has already played down his chances of immediately challenging for the 2027 title, citing the time he expects to need to adapt to Ducati. The wider technical changes planned for MotoGP next season also leave uncertainty over whether Ducati will remain at the front. For Lorenzo, the central question is whether Acosta can match or exceed Marquez from the outset—or whether the experience gap will give the reigning benchmark an early advantage.