POL ESPARGARO SAYS PEDRO ACOSTA MAY BE BETTER THAN MARQUEZ AT HONDA

Pol Espargaro has once again singled out Pedro Acosta’s performances on the KTM as something out of the ordinary, suggesting the Spaniard may already be operating at a level even higher than the Marc Marquez he saw during their Honda years.

Acosta’s latest statement came at Misano, where he finished third to secure his fifth podium of the season. Espargaro highlighted that it was achieved on KTM’s “third-best” bike, with only Jorge Martin (six podiums) and Marco Bezzecchi (eight) ahead in the standings. He also pointed to how rare top results have been for the rest of KTM’s lineup: no other KTM rider has finished higher than sixth. Acosta’s points total of 209 was also used to underline his impact, with Espargaro noting it exceeds the combined haul of Enea Bastianini, Brad Binder, Maverick Vinales and even himself as a substitute, who together have 190 points.

Speaking to Motorbike Magazine, Espargaro said the way Acosta rides is comparable to what Marquez did at Honda—possibly more so. “It’s incredible,” he said. “It’s spectacular, I’ve only seen it a few times. The truth is, what Pedro is doing now is what Marc did at Honda, or even better.”

Espargaro then tried to explain what makes Acosta’s riding so difficult to replicate, describing a combination of technical execution and an unusual drive to keep pushing. He recalled a conversation with Acosta in which the details of his pace and braking stood out. “I was talking to him and he told me, ‘On lap 23 I did a 1:30.9, then I got to turn eight and locked up for 20 metres.’” Espargaro added the significance of that moment: the ability to still brake aggressively and lock up while catching the rider ahead, even after already being on the podium following a complicated weekend.

“It’s very difficult to have both, and he has them,” Espargaro concluded, summing up the blend he sees in Acosta: “the technique combined with the will; the fact that he’s a very fast, very technical guy, but also has that infinite hunger for victory that Pedro has.”

While Acosta has not yet won on KTM, Espargaro suggested that the bike’s limitations have played a role. He also referenced Marquez’s later Honda period, when the machine became less competitive, noting that between Marquez’s injury comeback in 2021 and his exit after 2023 he won three races and took five podiums, despite racing only 41 times due to multiple surgeries.