Following Ducati's announcement on Wednesday that they were signing Pedro Acosta to replace Francesco Bagnaia in the factory lineup, current world champion Marc Marquez and his new teammate for 2027, Acosta, have made their first statements regarding their partnership. Marquez said that taking Acosta from KTM was a good choice for Ducati, while Acosta described being in the same garage with a nine-time world champion as a learning opportunity.
Marquez: Acosta was one of the best riders in the market.
Marquez assessed Acosta with these words: “Pedro was one of the best riders on the market, so he was among the best options for any team. He’s a fast, young and energetic rider; so he’ll be very fast from the start.” However, Marquez also emphasized that he didn’t want to delve deeper into the subject out of respect for his current teammate Bagnaia. When asked about a comparison between Acosta and a younger version of himself, he simply said, “We’ll talk about that in the winter.”.
Acosta, the 22-year-old Spanish rider who moved up to MotoGP in the 2024 season and secured his first sprint victory at the Thailand season opener in March 2026, has accumulated more points than any other rider on the team in his final seasons with KTM. However, KTM's inability to challenge the dominance of Aprilia and Ducati has prevented Acosta from fully showcasing his potential.
Acosta: I see it as a learning opportunity, not competition.
Acosta described racing in the same garage as Marquez not as a rivalry, but as a platform for gaining experience: “It’s a great honor for me to share things with Marc. He’s nearing the end of his career, while I’m at the beginning of mine in MotoGP. He raced alongside great riders like Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, and Valentino Rossi in his early years. The experience he carries from that period is invaluable, and perhaps it can connect me with that as well.”
Acosta also made it clear that there was no rivalry between the two yet: “Our relationship is natural and professional; we don’t have an obligation to eat together or hug. There’s no rivalry without fighting for the championship; just being in the same garage doesn’t create rivalry. There’s no rivalry at the moment.”
MotoGP will switch to new technical regulations from 2027, reducing engine displacement from 1000cc to 850cc. This change is expected to reshape the performance hierarchy and give Acosta a more level playing field with Marquez in the Ducati garage.