PEDRO ACOSTA SAYS HE HAS NO FRIENDS IN THE PADDOCK AND KEEPS HIS DISTANCE FROM RIVALS

Pedro Acosta has challenged the idea that MotoGP’s top riders can be close friends in the way fans often imagine. In comments reported by Speedweek, the KTM rider said he intentionally keeps a certain distance from his rivals, even while acknowledging that conversation and respect between competitors are normal.

Asked whether he feels like a “black sheep” in the paddock, Acosta replied: “Maybe. Or maybe I’m just the one who doesn’t follow the prevailing trend.” He explained that he understands why many riders develop tight relationships and can talk with everyone, but he sees a fundamental contradiction in the concept of friendship between people who share the same ultimate goal. “We are all here because we pursue the same dream,” he said.

For Acosta, the difficulty is that MotoGP is built on winning and on chasing championships—meaning rivals are not just colleagues, but direct threats. “It’s very hard to have an honest relationship with someone who wants exactly what you want,” he said, adding in a blunt comparison: “To make his dream come true, this rival would be able to kill you—at least in a sporting sense.” Because of that, he believes the healthiest approach is separation rather than closeness. “If I can’t be honest with you, I’d rather take a step back and keep some distance.”

He also made clear that this mindset is not new. “I’ve never had friends in the paddock, and I’m glad about it,” Acosta stated, referencing his wider Grand Prix career rather than any single season.

Acosta’s view extends beyond social life and into how he approaches racing. He said he does not want personal relationships to influence his decisions in close combat. “That’s how I have no scruples about overtaking someone,” he explained.

In his opinion, MotoGP may even be missing something that earlier eras had in abundance: sharper, more personal rivalry. He pointed to historic matchups as examples of tension that, in his view, added extra intensity. “The big rivalries of the past—Rossi against Biaggi, Crivillé against Doohan, Rossi against Marquez—were not simple relationships,” Acosta recalled. “Maybe that’s the sharp ingredient that MotoGP is missing at the moment.”

While he does not reject normal respect or friendly conversation, Acosta draws a firm line when it comes to genuine friendship. In his framing, anyone pursuing the same dream ultimately remains a competitor.

The comments come with an added storyline for next season: Acosta is set to become Marc Marquez’s teammate in MotoGP.