By finishing 3rd in the Sprint Grand Prix MotoGP of Italy on the Mugello circuit,rookie Peter Acosta confirmed his place on the starting grid and his current potential.
Did he benefit from a “perfect” motorcycle in Tuscany like in Barcelona and Le Mans?
As usual, we report his words here without the slightest formatting, even if it is translated from English.
Are you happy with the new contract with KTM until 2026?
Peter Acosta : “More than happy! More than happy! It's true that even now I have a factory bike, I have factory guys, I have a factory team, for that it's true that there is no reason to leave this team, but there is also no reason not to move up to the factory team. I am very happy to make this decision after deciding a year ago that KTM would be my brand to move to MotoGP. So I'm more than happy to make this decision. At the end of the day, like I always say, our guys are orange guys dressed in red. That's why I'm more than happy to take the whole team (3 people) with me and continue with this successful team. »
During the race, it seemed like you were the only KTM that didn't have vibrations in the rear, because Brad was saying here, or Jack was saying, that they had bad vibrations.
Did you have any vibrations and did you deal with them?
“They have a vibe that’s quite different from mine, to be honest. It's true that since Le Mans we have been able to avoid vibrations in one way or another. It's true that we have worked massively in this area, and also from the factory, to try to avoid them with my riding style. It’s true that it’s still not super natural for me. It's also true that it's not the easiest way to ride for me, but it's a way to avoid them. To do this, you have to copy until you get there naturally. »
What do you have to sacrifice to get the most out of the bike? What would you do naturally?
“I have to be a little smoother in certain parts of the track, you know, and maybe in some places I could be better in the entrances for example, but if this problem is there, it would be worse on the exit. And you know, with this super powerful bike, we have to try to be super fast on the straight, to gain time for free. You know, that's what I'm trying to do, and like I said, it's not the easiest way for me, but it's still getting easier. »
It looks like you had a little bit of tire left in the second half of the race. Could you have been a little closer if you had gotten off to a better start?
“In the end, it's because I think about tire management. By the time I passed Brad, I caught up with Marc and Jorge, you know. It's also true that I need to start a little further ahead, because the problem, if you look at Pecco's race pace today for example, is that it is quite constant at the level where he pushes. My problem at the moment, I think, or I come to the conclusion that, imagine I get to this level, I go back down because I need to pass the guys, without forcing in certain corners, forcing too much in others. That's why the moment I pass them, I speed up and start to be consistent. But it's not the best for tire management, for temperature management, for anything related to the motorcycle. For this, I have to try to be more in front to be a little more consistent in the way I push. »
Pol said qualifying is more important than ever today…
" Yes Yes it is true. Anyway, today we were fast to be in the first two rows, that's our goal at the moment. But the problem is that when Marc crashed, Alex and Marc were in the middle, and then Aleix ended up in the middle because Alex and Marc were in front slowing down. It was the same today in qualifying, because we were able to do more. But anyway, it's competition, that's what it is. »
Is there anything to learn from Pecco today, and have you made your tire choice for tomorrow?
“We need to get off to a better start than today, that’s true. It wasn't a bad start, but we lost a bit in the first part of the braking. Because I had a movement on the climb and the bike XXX was open, let's say: I then preferred to pass the first corner and see how I could manage. It could be quite difficult, you know, so tire choice for everyone, I think, because not many guys have done the full distance of the race on the medium and even on the soft. We tried today in FP2 but it's not clear enough, and it's something difficult to say. »
MotoGP Acosta Sprint
MotoGP Acosta Sprint
MotoGP 2024 Catalan Grand Prix Sprint Results in Barcelona:
Credit rankings: MotoGP.com
