Pedro Acosta (motorcyclist) explained

Pedro Acosta
Nationality:Spanish
Birth Date:25 May 2004
Birth Place:Mazarrón, Spain
Current Team:Red Bull GasGas Tech3
Bike Number:31
Motogp Manufacturers:KTM
Motogp Race Starts:7
Motogp Race Wins:0
Motogp Podiums:2
Motogp Poles:0
Motogp Fastest Laps:1
Motogp Total Points:101
Moto2 Active Years:
Moto2 Manufacturers:Kalex
Moto2 Championships:1
Moto2 Race Starts:38
Moto2 Race Wins:10
Moto2 Podiums:19
Moto2 Poles:4
Moto2 Fastest Laps:9
Moto2 Total Points:509.5
Moto2 Last Season:2023
Moto2 Last Position:1st (332.5 pts)
Moto3 Manufacturers:KTM
Moto3 Race Starts:18
Moto3 Race Wins:6
Moto3 Podiums:8
Moto3 Poles:1
Moto3 Fastest Laps:1
Moto3 Total Points:259
Moto3 Last Season:2021
Moto3 Last Position:1st (259 pts)
Moto3 Championships:1

Pedro Acosta Sánchez (born 25 May 2004) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer, competing in MotoGP for the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 team.[1] Acosta took his maiden win in only his second Moto3 race at the 2021 Doha motorcycle Grand Prix after starting from the pitlane for irresponsible riding in free practice. In the same season, he won the 2021 Moto3 World Championship becoming the first rookie champion since Loris Capirossi in 1990,[2] and the second youngest ever champion, just one day older than Capirossi was at the time of winning. In 2023, Acosta won the Moto2 world championship with 2 races to go. Acosta is also a champion of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, having won the title in 2020.

Career

Early career

Acosta participated in various national competitions, winning in 2017 in the PreMoto3 category. In 2018 he entered the Junior Moto3 World Championship. In 2019 he also raced in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, finishing second, winning three races. He finished as champion the following year, winning six races in total, all six coming consecutively at the first six races of the season.[3]

Moto3 World Championship

In he made his debut racing in Moto3 class with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team. In his first race in Qatar, he finished in second place, becoming one of just a handful of riders to score a podium on their Grand Prix debut. On 4 April 2021 he won the Doha Motorcycle Grand Prix starting from pitlane, becoming the first rider in the history of Moto3 to accomplish this feat.[4] [5] Acosta would later win the next two races in Portugal and Spain, becoming the first rider in Grand Prix history to get on the podium in all of his first four races. He would win three more races during the season, in Germany, Styria, and Algarve, becoming champion in Algarve, when Darryn Binder crashed into Acosta's main title rival Dennis Foggia. He won the championship by 43 points, and became the first rookie champion of the Moto3 class since 1990, when Loris Capirossi won the 125cc title. Acosta was only one day older (17 years, 166 days) than Capirossi (17 years, 165 days) when they won their respective titles.

Moto2 World Championship

Red Bull KTM Ajo (2022–2023)

Acosta was promoted to Moto2 with the same team in 2022, joining compatriot Augusto Fernández who also moved from Marc VDS Racing Team.[6] He recorded his first Moto2 win during the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello.[7] After missing two rounds due to a broken femur sustained in a training accident,[8] he won another race in Aragón.[9] Acosta won the 2023 Moto2 World Championship.

MotoGP World Championship

Red Bull GasGas Tech3 (2024)

Acosta was promoted to MotoGP for 2024 with Red Bull GasGas Tech3.[10] He impressed in Qatar as he finished P8 in the sprint and P9 in the race, where he was as high as P4, but slowed due to tyre degradation.[11] [12] In Portimao, he achieved a podium in the main race, having overtaken experienced riders Brad Binder, Marc Marquez (both in turn 1) and Francesco Bagnaia (in turn 3).[13] [14] At the Circuit of the Americas he fought Marquez again, as well as Jorge Martin only to finish P4 in the sprint, but in the main race he lead a race for the first time and made moves that would have seen either a rider go wide on the exit of the corner or crash, he finished P2 behind Maverick Vinales.[15] [16]

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2025–)

Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, it was announced that Pedro Acosta had signed a multi-year deal with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for the 2025 season.[17]

Career statistics

Career highlights

European Talent Cup

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearBike123456789101112PosPts
2018KTMESTVAL1VAL2FRACAT1
CAT2
ARA
JER1
JER2
ALBVAL1VAL233rd3
2019KTMESTVAL1VAL2FRACAT1CAT2ARAJER1
JER2
ALB
VAL1
VAL2
16th34
2020KTMEST
POR
JER1
JER2
JER3
ARA1
ARA2
ARA3
VAL1
VAL2
VAL3
3rd177

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year123456789101112PosPts
2019JER1
JER2
MUG
ASS1
ASS2
SAC1
SAC2
RBR1
RBR2
MIS
ARA1
ARA2
2nd162
2020RBR1
RBR1
RBR2
RBR2
ARA1
ARA1
ARA2
ARA2
VAL1
VAL1
VAL2
VAL2
1st214

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

SeasonClassMotorcycleTeamRaceWinPodiumPoleFLapPtsPlcdWCh
Moto3KTMRed Bull KTM Ajo1868112591st1
Moto2KalexRed Bull KTM Ajo1835111775th
Moto2KalexRed Bull KTM Ajo2071438332.51st1
MotoGPKTMRed Bull GasGas Tech390201110*6th*
Total651629511878.52

By class

ClassSeasons1st GP1st Pod1st WinRaceWinPodiumsPoleFLapPtsWChmp
Moto320212021 Qatar2021 Qatar2021 Doha1868112591
Moto22022–20232022 Qatar2022 Italy2022 Italy38101949509.51
MotoGP2024–present2024 Qatar2024 Portugal90201110
Total2021–present651629511878.52

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearClassBike1234567891011121314151617181920PosPts
Moto3KTMQAT
DOH
POR
SPA
FRA
ITA
CAT
GER
NED
STY
AUT
GBR
ARA
RSM
AME
EMI
ALR
VAL
1st259
Moto2KalexQAT
INA
ARG
AME
POR
SPA
FRA
ITA
CAT
GER
NEDGBR
AUT
RSM
ARA
JPN
THA
AUS
MAL
VAL
5th177
Moto2KalexPOR
ARG
AME
SPA
FRA
ITA
GER
NED
GBR
AUT
CAT
RSM
IND
JPN
INA
AUS
THA
MAL
QAT
VAL
1st332.5
MotoGPKTMQAT
POR
AME
SPA
FRA
CAT
ITA
NED
GER
GBRAUTARARSMEMIINAJPNAUSTHAMALVAL6th*110*
Half points awarded as less than half of the race distance (but at least three full laps) was completed.
Season still in progress.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Acosta seals MotoGP Promotion for GasGas Tech 3 in 2024 . www.motorsport.com.
  2. Web site: Record breaking Pedro Acosta first rookie champ since Capirossi. 7 November 2021.
  3. Web site: Chi è Pedro Acosta, il 16enne che ha trionfato in Moto3 a Doha. 5 April 2021. La Gazzetta dello Sport.
  4. Web site: Doha Moto3: KTM's Pedro Acosta charges from pitlane to win. 5 April 2021. www.motorsport.com. en.
  5. Web site: 4 April 2021. Moto3 Doha: Acosta amazes with maiden win from pit lane. 5 April 2021. Crash. en.
  6. Web site: 7 September 2021. Acosta, Fernandez join Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 for 2022. 7 September 2021. MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports.
  7. Web site: Another record: Pedro Acosta debuts on the wins in Moto2 at Mugello. 7 July 2022. Motorcycle Sports.
  8. Web site: Another record: Acosta breaks left femur in training accident. 18 September 2022. MotoGP.
  9. Web site: Fialho. Fábio. Rookie but maybe not that much: Acosta returns to the wins at Aragon. 18 September 2022. Motorcycle Sports.
  10. News: 6 October 2023. Espargaro moved aside for Acosta’s MotoGP arrival at Tech3 in 2024. 31 October 2023.
  11. Web site: 2024-03-09 . Martin remains the king of the Sprints in Qatar . 2024-04-15 . The Official Home of MotoGP . en.
  12. Web site: 2024-03-10 . Bagnaia back on top after perfection in Qatar . 2024-04-15 . The Official Home of MotoGP . en.
  13. Web site: 2024-03-23 . Viñales victorious as Marc Marquez strikes late on Martin . 2024-04-15 . The Official Home of MotoGP . en.
  14. Web site: 2024-03-24 . Martin wins and Acosta makes history as Bagnaia and Marquez collide . 2024-04-15 . The Official Home of MotoGP . en.
  15. Web site: 2024-04-13 . Victory for Viñales as Martin fights back for third . 2024-04-15 . The Official Home of MotoGP . en.
  16. Web site: 2024-04-14 . All-time classic: Viñales makes history with stunning COTA comeback . 2024-04-15 . The Official Home of MotoGP . en.
  17. Web site: 2024-06-01 . Pedro Acosta to continue Red Bull KTM story with fresh MotoGP™ contract . 2024-06-01 . www.ktm.com . en.