Pedro Acosta’s decision to join Ducati for MotoGP 2027 was motivated by a desire to beat Marc Marquez on the same machinery rather than a more lucrative contract, according to his current team KTM.
Acosta will replace three-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia at the factory Ducati team, forming one of the most impressive line-ups on the grid alongside reigning champion Marquez.
The move will bring an end to Acosta’s long association with KTM, which supported him from his early days in motorcycle racing and gave him his big break in the premier class.
Acosta’s departure is seen as a big blow for the Austrian manufacturer, which has become increasingly dependent on its young prodigy in MotoGP over the years.
But KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister says there was nothing he could have done to convince Acosta to stay at Mattighofen next year, with Acosta seeking more than just a bigger salary and a competitive bike in MotoGP’s 850cc era.
“I am really very sorry [that he is leaving] and I tried [to keep him]. It is not a secret that I tried personally to convince him to stay but it was very [tough],” said Neumeister.
“I still have goosebumps because he told me, ‘please, Gottfried, it is not about a million more or less’. We have seen riders who are sitting on the base package at the beginning of the season, and just signing with other guys for money.
“This, for me, is not racing spirit. He simply said in Spanish, ‘even if you have a better bike with the 850cc and I am winning on this one, I want to beat Marc with the same weapon’.
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
“Then, you are disarmed, you are dismantled, and this is such a great encouragement and I will always have the best feelings when I see him and we will fight up until the very last day.”
Neumeister also left the door open for a reunion with Acosta in the future, much like Honda has always said it would welcome back Marquez with open arms.
“I have always said you always meet twice in life and he is really doing the best for the team,” he said.
Asked about KTM’s comment that Acosta wants to beat him on equally competitive machinery, nine-time world champion Marquez said he does not share the same desire, pointing to the difference in their ages and experience.
“No, it’s not my battle right now. I’m already in another position in my career,” he said.
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