Acosta Aims for Breakthrough Victory at Valencia MotoGP Finale

Pedro Acosta’s impressive performance in Friday practice at the Valencia Grand Prix has ignited speculation that the young Spaniard may finally achieve his long-awaited maiden MotoGP victory. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider topped the timesheets, setting the stage for a potentially historic weekend at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Acosta, in his sophomore MotoGP season, has faced persistent questions regarding his first win. The pressure intensified as fellow rookies Fermin Aldeguer of Gresini Racing secured a breakthrough win in Indonesia, and Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse Racing triumphed in Australia. Despite the external expectations, Acosta has maintained a steady progression, consistently improving his performance and building momentum towards the top step of the podium.

Over the past five race weekends, Acosta has demonstrated remarkable consistency, securing podium finishes in either the sprint race or the grand prix. This consistent performance is particularly noteworthy considering the fluctuating performance of the KTM bike across different tracks.

During the overseas races, Acosta openly stated that the final two European rounds presented KTM’s best opportunity to contend for victory. At Portimao, he led the majority of the sprint race before being overtaken by Alex Marquez, while a third-place finish in the Sunday race was the best possible outcome.

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Valencia presents Acosta with his final chance of the season to secure that elusive first win, and he appears determined to capitalize on the opportunity. His early flying lap in the hour-long practice session placed him at the top of the leaderboard, a mere tenth of a second ahead of Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi.

Considering that Acosta’s only prior MotoGP experience at Valencia was his initial test at the end of 2023, his performance on Friday was particularly impressive. However, Acosta remains cautious, downplaying his status as the favorite for victory, citing the close competition throughout the field.

"The problem here is that everything is super tight – it’s ridiculous," Acosta said. "I think one second [covers] 19 guys. With one replier [replacement rider] and one guy that was missing a lot of races like [Jorge] Martin, it’s ridiculous that we are in one second. You can imagine how high the level of MotoGP is at the moment."

Acosta acknowledged challenges in time attack scenarios with the soft front tire, stating, "It’s true that we were having a lot of problems making the time attacks with the soft front and maybe [it was] unexpected."

Despite these challenges, Acosta expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, "But anyway, we have to be happy. We were working a lot on race pace and on tyre life. But there’s still a lot of work to do because many things are unexpected at the moment."

While acknowledging the need for overnight improvements to the KTM bike, Acosta recognized that the Circuit Ricardo Tormo is more favorable to the RC16 than the venues that concluded the overseas races.

"Here we arrived at a track that is better for us, maybe," he explained. "If you check the last couple of tracks, we have this Turn 2 in Indonesia that is super fast and our bike is not turning. Then we went to Phillip Island where we destroyed the tyres, and these long corners are not our favourite ones."

Acosta added, "In Malaysia, you have these two long straights with long acceleration and you are burning the tyres. And then we arrived in Portugal and it looked like our bike was not that fast like Ducati or Aprilia in the last corner."

He elaborated on the circuit’s characteristics, "Here, it looks like we have to stop the bike more and then accelerate. It’s another way to ride the bike. It looks like our [bike] is becoming better because I don’t lose the rear much, and everything is easier to understand. I know, more or less, more where the tyres are and how to try to manage [them]."

The fact that even Acosta’s teammate, Brad Binder, who has struggled with one-lap pace throughout the year, finished the day within half a second of the leading time suggests that the KTM bike is performing well at the Cheste track.

"Here we arrived at a track that is better for us, maybe," Acosta explained. "If you check the last couple tracks, we have this Turn 2 in Indonesia that is super fast and our bike is not turning. Then we went to Phillip Island where we destroyed the tyres, and these long corners are not our favourite ones."

He continued, "In Malaysia, you have these two long straights with long acceleration and you are burning the tyres. And then we arrived in Portugal and it looked like our bike was not that fast like Ducati or Aprilia in the last corner."

"Here, it looks like we have to stop the bike more and then accelerate. It’s another way to ride the bike. It looks like our [bike] is becoming better because I don’t lose the rear much, and everything is easier to understand. I know, more or less, more where the tyres are and how to try to manage [them]."

Tire wear is expected to play a significant role in determining the outcome of Sunday’s race, but KTM’s performance in Malaysia demonstrated their ability to manage tire degradation when necessary.

However, Acosta’s chances of securing his first MotoGP victory depend not only on his own performance but also on the competitiveness of his rivals, Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi.

Alex Marquez dedicated a significant portion of Friday’s practice session to testing a new 2025-specification aero package, and he may continue to evaluate it throughout the weekend. This focus on future development could potentially affect his competitiveness in the race.

Marco Bezzecchi, on the other hand, appears to be a more immediate threat. Aprilia has traditionally struggled at Portimao, but the versatility of the 2025 RS-GP suggests that he could be a genuine contender this year.

Acosta’s journey to MotoGP has been meteoric. He won the Moto3 World Championship in 2021 as a rookie, and then moved to Moto2, where he finished third in 2022 before winning the title in 2023. His rapid progression has made him one of the most highly anticipated riders in MotoGP.

KTM’s commitment to Acosta is evident in their efforts to provide him with the best possible equipment and support. The team has a history of developing young talent, and Acosta is seen as a key part of their future plans.

The Valencia Grand Prix holds historical significance as the final race of the MotoGP season. The Circuit Ricardo Tormo is known for its challenging layout and often unpredictable weather conditions, which can significantly impact race strategy and rider performance.

As the weekend progresses, all eyes will be on Pedro Acosta as he seeks to translate his Friday practice performance into a historic maiden MotoGP victory. The competition will be fierce, but Acosta’s talent, determination, and the improved performance of the KTM bike suggest that he has a strong chance of achieving his goal.

The outcome of the Valencia Grand Prix will not only determine whether Acosta secures his first win but will also provide valuable insights into the potential contenders for the 2025 MotoGP season.