MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta says that he must rein in his ambitions considerably within the closing 5 races of the season, after yet one more crash – out of the dash on the Thai Grand Prix – implies that he has now seen the chequered flag for the Tech3 Fuel Fuel group in solely 4 of the final 11 races.
By far the quickest of the riders on the 4 KTM-powered machines on the grid, Acosta nonetheless at present sits 12 factors behind 2025 team-mate and present manufacturing unit rider Brad Binder within the standings – largely due to the 20-year-old’s dramatic inconsistency within the latter half of the season, with frequent crashes very a lot the hallmark of his debut season to date.
These crashes are, largely, seemingly coming from an apparent place: the Spaniard attempting to over-ride the Fuel Fuel-branded KTM RC16 bike with a view to sustain with the sequence’ totally dominant Ducatis proper now – and Saturday at Buriram was no totally different for Acosta.
Acosta’s barren run
Japanese GP dash: Crashed from lead
Japanese GP: Crashed from second
Australian GP dash: Crashed from eleventh
Australian GP: Absent via damage
Thai GP dash: Crashed from fourth
Inserting himself into the battle for the rostrum early within the Buriram dash, Acosta was the one non-Ducati rider to look in any manner aggressive – till catastrophe got here on the fourth lap and he ended up within the gravel, leaving Ducati’s eight machines to lock out the highest eight for the primary time ever.
However with that domination by the Italian manufacturing unit – one thing Acosta, like many, feels is largely right down to its eight-bike presence on the grid and the info this generates – comes elevated danger for Ducati’s rivals as they wrestle to maintain up.
“On the finish, they’ve extra margin than us,” Acosta mentioned of the Ducatis, having prevented damage within the crash.
“For us to go together with them, we have to push at 100%, and if you cross the road generally it can save you it and a few days you can not. Perhaps they’re driving at 95%, they usually have this 5% of margin.
“It’s regular that this stuff can occur, however now we perhaps must be calm and perceive {that a} high 5 or high six is an efficient end result within the final races.”
And whereas he’s maintained a devil-may-care perspective to date in his rookie season, that is perhaps beginning to change for the ultimate races of the yr, maybe partially aided by the punishing crash in final weekend’s dash at Phillip Island that dislocated his shoulder and ended his weekend early.
He has largely recovered from that damage when it comes to driving, however expects to nonetheless really feel the ache from the crash within the coming weeks.
And the remainder of 2024, he says, might be a case of managing expectations earlier than he units about to work over the winter with KTM to make sure a extra aggressive machine as he graduates to manufacturing unit colors for 2025.
“Ultimately, the boldness was there,” he insisted even after the current run of dangerous type, “as a result of if it’s not then you definately’re not likely in a position to push with the entrance boys.
“It’s true that we have to begin to end races, as a result of within the final 11 I’ve completed 4. We have to perhaps step again and be somewhat extra calm.
“To grasp that generally a high 5 isn’t dangerous in any respect.”
The comparatively shut race for fifth (and high non-Ducati) within the championship standings is perhaps affecting that view considerably, too, with Binder (who couldn’t handle higher than a single level in ninth on Saturday) nonetheless very a lot inside touching distance with 99 factors left to play for.
