Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rider Pedro Acosta continues to show signs of great form, just a week after his impressive performance at Aragon. The 20-year-old prodigy proved once again that he is not here to make up the numbers, challenging the Ducati armada on the opening day of the San Marino Grand Prix.
From the second free practice session, Acosta set the tone, climbing to the top of the standings several times with his red RC16, and hinting that he could well be the surprise of the weekend. Despite a kick At turn 8 at the end of the session, the rookie quickly got back on his bike and managed to secure sixth place, which guarantees him a direct place in Q2.
Last weekend in Aragon, Acosta said he had made " one step back to take two steps forward " by returning to his early season settings. This strategy seems to be paying off, as he has established himself as a serious contender for the podium, or even victory this weekend at Misano, a circuit where the KTM had already performed well last year with Dani Pedrosa.
Pedro Acosta: “ I am really happy because we were able to adapt quickly. »
Peter Acosta not only showed himself to be fast on one lap, he also displayed a formidable racing pace during the long stints. With a soft rear tire, he chained 16 laps, his best time being 1'31.301s with a tire already 12 laps old. His average pace over nine laps was 1'31.921s, making it a serious threat to the Ducati this week-end.
Acosta, confident but realistic, said after the tests: " It's been several Fridays since we felt as comfortable as today! I'm really happy, because we were able to adapt quickly. But there is still a lot of work to do, especially seeing the guys in front of us.Tomorrow we will use FP2 to refine our race strategy and make the right tyre choice. »
With his determination and promising performances, Peter Acosta seems set to trouble the stars of Ducati at their home event.
MotoGP, Misano J1: ranking
