PEDRO ACOSTA SETS A GOAL TO OUTPACE MARC MARQUEZ IN HIS FIRST DUCATI TEST

Pedro Acosta has already set a clear personal objective for his first Ducati outing alongside Marc Marquez, with the Valencia post-season test in November expected to be the key moment. The 22-year-old’s move to Ducati has generated intense interest across MotoGP, particularly given the contrast between his current form on an underwhelming KTM and the performance potential many expect from him on the Bologna manufacturer’s machinery.

While Acosta is said to be careful about talking too far ahead of the switch, he has nonetheless outlined what matters most once he gets his hands on the red bike: finishing ahead of Marquez in the Valencia test. According to journalist Manuel Pecino, speaking on the #ZamTube YouTube channel, Acosta’s mindset is framed as a “mission.” Pecino said: “Pedro has a mission; what he wants more than anything in the world is to finish ahead of Marquez in the Valencia test. For him this is a mission.”

Pecino also described the psychological edge Acosta is aiming to create over the winter, adding that the Spaniard wants to “send Marquez a Christmas gift,” imagining the moment when “thinking, thinking, when the computer freezes.” The underlying idea is that a strong result would force Marquez to reassess his expectations going into the next phase of development and competition.

There is, however, a head start for Marquez. The reigning benchmark rider has already been testing the new 850cc Ducati and has a data advantage from that work. Acosta’s path to the 2027 bike has also been delayed, as he was blocked from riding it mid-season. Once he finally gets on the Ducati, though, Pecino reports that Acosta is “super, ultra-convinced” he can beat Marquez “hand-to-hand.”

Pecino’s comments also laid out the alternative scenario: if Acosta is not faster and cannot secure the advantage in Valencia, Marquez could end up “thinking, ‘Hmm, it wasn’t as easy as I thought.’” In the reverse direction, a faster Acosta would push Marquez to respond with renewed urgency, with Pecino quoting the idea that Marquez would then feel, “Oh, now I have to start—Marquez 1000%—I want to beat him.”