Pedro Acosta received high praise after his remarkable performance at the Portuguese Grand Prix, where he achieved his first-ever podium finish in the MotoGP premier class. Acosta, who was promoted to the top flight this season, impressed with a ninth-place finish in his debut race in Qatar and followed it up with a third-place finish at Portimao.
Sylvain Guintoli, commenting on the race, declared Acosta as the standout rider of the day, exclaiming, “Unreal!” Guintoli noted Acosta’s aggressive riding style, mentioning that despite the bike’s movements, Acosta managed to maintain a consistent rhythm throughout the race, a sign of his exceptional skill.
Michael Laverty also praised Acosta, describing him as the much-needed talent in MotoGP. Laverty emphasized Acosta’s ability to overtake some of the toughest riders, including Miller, Binder, Marquez, and Bagnaia, making it look effortless. Laverty also commended Acosta’s charisma, speed, and style, stating that he possesses all the qualities to make a lasting impact in the sport.
Acosta’s remarkable performance included overtaking Jack Miller, Brad Binder, Marc Marquez, and Francesco Bagnaia during the race. His podium finish was further secured when Maverick Vinales crashed on the last lap. Acosta, reflecting on his favorite overtaking maneuver, highlighted his pass on reigning champion Bagnaia at Turn 3.
In his post-race interview, Acosta expressed his disbelief at the race outcome, stating that his bike performed much better than the previous day. He mentioned that his racing style, which involves managing fuel consumption over long distances, comes naturally to him. Acosta acknowledged that he is still adapting to the premier class but expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far.
With this podium finish, Acosta climbs to fifth place in the Riders’ Championship and is currently the second-highest-ranked KTM rider, trailing behind Binder.