[Acosta Declares Intent Is to Learn from Marquez Rather Than Challenge Him at Ducati]
Pedro Acosta has addressed comments from KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister, who suggested the Colombian rider joined Ducati specifically to challenge Marc Marquez on identical machinery.
Last month, Neumeister indicated he attempted to retain Acosta within KTM’s MotoGP framework for the current era, offering monetary incentives and assurances of a competitive platform—but deemed those offers insufficient to persuade him to remain.
“It is not a secret that I personally tried to convince him to stay,” Neumeister noted.
“That effort was very tough,” he added.
“I still carry the discomfort because he assured me, ‘Please, Gottfried—this isn’t about a few tens of thousands more.’ We have witnessed riders remaining at the base package early in the season and moving to sign with alternative teams solely for financial gain.”
“From my perspective, this lacks a racing spirit. He insisted in Spanish, ‘Even if you have a superior bike running the 850cc machine and I’m winning on this one, I want to defeat Marc with the same equipment.'”
During the Indonesian Grand Prix weekend, motorsport.com posed Acosta with the question of whether the disclosed conversation implied a motivation to surpass Marquez on equal hardware—a potential fixation.
“The issue is that I never negotiated with KTM. They presented me an offer, and I declined. When pressure mounted, they conveyed that leaving felt impossible; upon departure last year, they openly questioned my commitment to the contract.”
Gottfried Neumeister and Pedro Acosta
Subsequently, he stated that Ducati represents a deliberate choice rather than a desperate attempt to recreate past conditions.
“When I committed to Ducati last December to compete with the factory squad in 2027, there was no ambiguity,” he declared, describing the decision as one he reflects little doubt on anymore.
Before undertaking that move, Acosta captured Italy’s track with his KTM’s first MotoGP victory in four years last week, cementing his reputation as a contender at the highest level.
“Our primary objectives, set together with my manager Albert Valera, center on securing the most competitive machine and aligning with the most challenging team of the recent decade—the last ten years.”
The emphasis remains on professional development over immediate outcome.
“It is not about overcoming Marc. Indeed, the sole purpose was joining alongside the greatest rider historically—and currently—for two decades—to maximize my long-term career trajectory, knowing that even a loss carries greater value than personal grievance.”
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?Take our five-minute survey.
The Motorsport.com team
Also Read
- Hibernian Imposes Three-Match Suspension on Supporters’ Group After Disorder at Tannadice
- Zak Crawley Commits to Kent with New One-Year Deal After England Contract Loss
- “Absolute leader” wants to leave Man United, he doesn’t want club renewing his contract
- Fit Jasprit Bumrah Rested for New Zealand ODIs, Targeting Test Series
