MotoGP, Poncharal: "Acosta? He'll be fighting for the title in 2025."

Although he didn't fail to make mistakes and, on certain occasions, he hasn't been able to maintain a high level of performance, Pedro Acosta has been able to amaze everyone during his first year in the MotoGP, even those who never had any doubts about his talent. Currently sixth in the general riders standings, despite his lack of experience, he'll be partnering with Brad Binder on the factory KTM next year.

Asked to comment on what the Spanish rider has accomplished so far, Tech 3 Team Manager Hervè Poncharal told the official Motogp.com website: "His task now is to learn, have fun, and prepare for the future, but I think that he'll already be fighting for the title in 2025. I'm not saying that he'll be the favorite, but at least he'll be among the five or six most expected."

What convinces Poncharal isn't only the 20-year-old's speed. "The way he handles the race weekends, how he communicates with the engineers, and the pointers he gives to improve the bike, are astonishing, if you consider he's a rookie. But what makes you ponder is the fact that he'll be able to make further progress," he continued, enraptured by the skills of the outgoing Moto2 champion.

In light of such a positive opinion, passing him with flying colors seems to be a given:"I'd give him 8.5 or 9 because he's come close to perfection. We have to take into account that, in today's top class, the competition is fierce, and they're all close. However, after the double podium in Aragon, he confided in me that he wanted more."

But not everything has actually run smoothly from Qatar to now. In fact, the young rider fell on no less than 17 occasions and, even in the recent first round at Misano, he had a taste of the Italian asphalt. "The most painful fall was the one in Le Mans. After a difficult Sprint, we had worked on the adjustments and he was satisfied. I think he had set very high goals for himself," Poncharal revealed.

"He was behind a VR46 rider and Aleix Espargaro," the team manager continued. "He was caught off guard by early braking and, to avoid impact, he went straight into the gravel. In the end, he felt really bad, because it would've been something fantastic. It's all part of the apprenticeship."