PEDRO ACOSTA INSISTS HIS COMMENTS ON MARC MARQUEZ’S AGE WEREN’T A DIG

Pedro Acosta has pushed back on criticism of comments he made about Marc Marquez ahead of his planned Ducati move, insisting he was not trying to take a “dig” at the seven-time MotoGP champion. Ducati confirmed at the end of June that Acosta will join the factory team in 2027, taking over as Marquez’s teammate from Francesco Bagnaia.

Speaking ahead of the Aragon Grand Prix, Acosta said he doesn’t feel pressure about the prospect of racing alongside a rider at a different stage of his career. “I have no idea what I’m going to find in that garage, but I don’t feel any pressure,” he said. Acosta framed the situation as a transition rather than a contest for dominance, adding: “Marc is in the final stage of his career and I’m just starting mine. He knows everyone at the factory and I will need time to adapt to a completely Italian garage after six years at KTM.”

He also pointed to the length of his initial Ducati deal as a buffer for adaptation. “I’m facing a completely new chapter, so I don’t feel any pressure. Luckily, I’ll be there for at least two years, so I’ll have time to get up to speed in the first one and see what happens in the second.”

Some observers, including MotoGP fans on Reddit, interpreted Acosta’s earlier remarks as a shot at Marquez. One comment hoped Acosta “doesn’t jinx himself,” while others suggested the words were “dangerous” or “definitely a shot across Marc’s bow.” Acosta responded in the Aragon press room by arguing that his assessment was simply factual. “I’m in my third year in MotoGP,” he explained. “Marc has been in MotoGP since I was nine years old, so it’s clear that, for whatever reason — age, physique, whatever — Marquez is closer to finishing his career than I am.”

Acosta added that he does not yet know what the day-to-day reality will be like once he is sharing a team environment with Marquez. “I don’t know what to expect when I’m in the garage with him and sharing a team with him, but I don’t think I was wrong in what I said.”

The wider context around Marquez’s situation has also been a talking point. The report notes that Marquez has not been fully fit at any stage this year after undergoing a second surgery on a 2025 shoulder injury. A screw from the initial procedure became loose and began pressing on his radial nerve, leaving him describing the condition as riding with “one and a half arms.” Even so, he has recently shown a strong response, winning three of the last six races to push back into the championship fight, though he is still rebuilding strength in the joint.

There is also said to be an understanding within Ducati that Marquez could walk away if his physical condition worsens, despite Acosta’s own contract structure. Marquez will be 34 at the start of next season, making him the second-oldest rider on the grid behind Johann Zarco (36). With several riders moving on—including Jack Miller, Franco Morbidelli, Brad Binder, Maverick Viñales and Alex Rins—only three of next year’s competitors are expected to be in their 30s.

While Acosta and Marquez are set to share Ducati machinery from 2027, the matchup has already attracted major attention in MotoGP circles. The report points to occasional tension earlier in the year, when Marquez highlighted that he was world champion “in his first year,” after Acosta briefly led the championship. That underlying rivalry, combined with the contrast in experience levels, is part of what has made the pairing so eagerly anticipated.