“I’m living in the most frustrating moment of my life”: Acosta

At Jerez on Saturday, KTM rider Pedro Acosta couldn’t do better than last place in Q2. That unfortunately meant he had to content himself with starting from the 12th spot on the grid. As a result, any possibility of running at the front of the field was gone.

Still, Acosta was reasonably satisfied with his Friday results, achieving a top 10 finish that won him a ticket straight into Q2. However, on Saturday, the tables turned and he wasn’t able to successfully pull off a fast lap during qualifying. And thus, he found himself on the fourth row of the starting grid.

From this position, the man from Murcia had to settle for crossing the finish line of the Spanish Grand Prix sprint race in 10th place, a full 12.6 seconds off the winning pace (or just over 1 second per lap).

Afterward, he said, “I hoped for more, but we have to continue working and learning things; there are many things we’re missing. I don’t understand how things changed so much between qualifying, when the feeling wasn’t very bad, and the Sprint, when the temperature rose and it changed the behaviour of the asphalt.”

To hear Acosta tell it, the one positive thing from this Saturday in Jerez is that Maverick Viñales was consistent again, ultimately finishing in 7th place as the top non-Ducati.

“It’s clear that if anyone can go fast on our bike, it’s a good sign, and one we have to welcome. Maverick’s problems are very similar to ours. He’s a rider with a lot of experience, he developed the Suzuki, he went quick on a Yamaha, and he did well with the Aprilia. He has a lot of experience, more than anyone else with the brand. When you listen to him, he says things that make a lot of sense, given his level of experience. It’s a positive thing to see him getting good results,” Acosta said.

“Tomorrow, the race will be a ‘surprise,’ and I’m hoping that the medium compound tire helps us and keeps the vibrations down, like in Qatar, but tire wear is going to be an issue for everyone with a long race distance.”

Looking forward to testing

A month is a long time in MotoGP, and just last month in Austin, Acosta remarked that the test this Monday in Jerez was “the most important day of the year.” It’s not clear that he still feels the same way now.

“I don’t know what Monday will bring; without a doubt, it’s an important day. But it’s also true that we have two races after that, as well as a test at Aragón [on June 9th] that will also be important. The [Monday] test will be important, but first we have to get through Sunday’s race,” Acosta said.

Even though he’s only 20 years old, Acosta is already in his fifth year in World Championship racing, and his second in the MotoGP premiere class. Crucially, he identifies the current moment he’s living through as his worst so far.

“It’s the most frustrating moment in my life, not just in the five years I’ve been in the World Championship. It’s not easy feeling so limited, or like my hands are tied. But you have to keep working. The fact that Maverick is having good races is exciting. We have to learn how to do it,” he said.

Last year, Acosta was clearly the reference point for his Austrian factory. But this year, the situation is much more confusing. “I don’t really care so much who the reference point is for KTM. As long as we have a bike that’s working, it’s fine for me.”

“The problem comes when you arrive at a track with a clear goal in mind, and for one reason or another, you can’t achieve it no matter what you do. No matter how difficult it is, you [usually] have road A or road B to climb a mountain. But if there is no road, that’s when it’s frustrating.”