Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta have played down talks of an intense rivalry when they race for the factory Ducati squad as team-mates in MotoGP next year.
Ducati announced on Wednesday that it has signed the highly-rated Acosta to replace Francesco Bagnaia, forming a star-studded line-up alongside reigning champion Marquez.
The prospect of having both riders on the same bike builds further anticipation about MotoGP’s 850cc era, which is expected to reset the pecking order and put Acosta on a more equal footing with Marquez within the Ducati garage.
Speaking after the announcement, Marquez welcomed Ducati’s decision to bring in Acosta from KTM, describing him as a major asset for the factory squad.
“Pedro was one of the best riders in the market, so I think he was one of the best choices for any team,” said Marquez. “He’s a fast, young and fresh rider. So he’ll be very fast from the beginning.
“But I will not go more deeply because I have a huge respect for Pecco and he’s my actual team-mate.”
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Asked if battling with Acosta would be like racing with the younger version of himself, Marquez quipped: “We will have time in winter time to speak about it.”
Acosta was touted as the next big star when he stepped up to the premier class in 2024, having impressed the paddock with his results in junior classes.
After less than three years in MotoGP, he has matured from a fast if inconsistent rider to one of the grid’s best performers, scoring his first sprint win in March’s Thailand season opener.
However, he has been severely handicapped with the machinery at his disposal, with KTM unable to put up much of a challenge to Aprilia and Ducati’s dominance in recent years.
Further, the Spaniard has faced little challenge within KTM, with Acosta outscoring all other riders on its roster combined in 2025.
While teaming up with Marquez at Ducati represents the biggest challenge in his career, Acosta said he is instead looking forward to learning from the nine-time world champion.
“I already said many times that it’s an honour to share things with Marc,” Acosta said. “He’s more or less at the end of his career. I’m just starting my career in MotoGP.
“For this reason, I think it’s a good opportunity for me to try to learn from him, try to get a bit of his experience.
“He was the last one of the last era that was riding with great riders like Dani [Pedrosa], Jorge [Lorenzo] and Valentino [Rossi] in his early years in MotoGP. He brings a lot of experience from those guys.
“I am still in my early years in MotoGP. In that stage of managing the races and the pressure, he’s a guy that has won nine titles already. He has experienced enough. Maybe he can share it with me also (laughs).
“The relationship is natural and professional; there’s no need to hug or go out to dinner together. A rivalry, as Marc said a while back, is forged when you’re fighting for a championship, not just because you’re in the same garage. For now, there’s no rivalry.”
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