Three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo believes KTM’s young gun Pedro Acosta shares some qualities with motorcycle racing legends Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez.
Since making his debut at the start of 2024 with the Tech3-run GasGas team, Acosta has lived up to the hype surrounding him with a series of impressive performances on the RC16.
Podiums in Austin and Portimao easily stand out as the highlights of his brief MotoGP career to date, but he also finished on the rostrum in the sprint races at Jerez, Barcelona and Mugello to emerge as a consistent frontrunner.
While he has found the going tough since his crash at Le Mans, mostly due to a lack of bike development at KTM, there is no denying that the 20-year-old has a bright future in MotoGP.
Lorenzo, who also stepped up to the premier class at an early age in 2008, praised the work ethics of Acosta and said he has witnessed the same traits in him as some of the biggest stars in the series’ history.
“What makes him different from the others is the preparation, the thousands and thousands of hours he's been riding since he was a kid, and on big bikes,” Lorenzo told Spanish TV broadcaster Dazn.
“At his age, the others have half or three times less hours of training and preparation than him.
“He has qualities of Stoner and Valentino, the charisma. And also Marc's, the ambition and belief in himself.
“I would only give him one piece of advice: be careful with crashes, a serious injury could cut short a career.”
Another former MotoGP star who has closely followed Acosta’s career is 31-time grand prix winner Dani Pedrosa, who has inner knowledge of his countryman’s workings in his role as KTM’s test rider.
Pedrosa described Acosta as a major asset for KTM, which has already decided to promote the reigning Moto2 champion to its factory team from 2025.
“Every time he has changed categories, he has admitted that he has become more comfortable - he is used to working on very small circuits with big bikes,” said Pedrosa.
“Everyone at the factory is delighted with his performance, it's something KTM needed. Next year, with more experience, he will be at the next level.
“In pre-season, the advice I gave him was to be careful with the tyres, this bike can sometimes surprise you and you can end up in hospital.”
