“We wanted it, we were looking for it from the first day, you all predicted it, well, here it is, my first podium in the MotoGP World Championship in the second race of the season, amazing, immense joy and, above all, gratitude infinite to the entire KTM-GasGas factory and to all those who have helped me get here and fulfill one of my dreams, to race, fight and fight for the podium in the great championship.” He Pedro Acosta from Murcialeader of GasGas, that is, of KTM, 19 years old, has become today, in Portimao, before 72.549 aficionados and in front of millions of television viewers, in the third youngest pilot in history (the first is still the fun and popular Randy Mamola) who climbs onto the podium of the MotoGP World Championship. The race, sorry, was won with one hand by the man from Madrid. Jorge Martín (Ducati)which comes out of Portimao leader and favorite of the World Cup.
Acosta, who was fighting to finish in the top five of the Portuguese Grand Prix, which was held in Portimao with a Spanish triplet (Dani Holgadoa Moto3; Aaron CanetMoto2 y Jorge Martinin MotoGP), has benefited, in the end, from a (still) incomprehensible fall of a fabulous Maverick Viñaleswho, in the last lap, saw how he surpassed him Enea Bastianini (Ducati) and then his Aprilia apparently suffered some breakdown that caused him to fall and, therefore, placed the ‘Mazarrón shark’ on the MotoGP podium.
Of the trenecitos
The race, which had run very normally, with two little trains along almost all the laps, the first made up of Martin, Viñales and Bastianinicontenders for the podium, and three other cars fighting for fourth place made up of ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia (Ducati), Pedro Acosta (Aprilia) and Marc Marquez (Ducati). Of the six drivers, without a doubt, the star, the ‘show’, in prominence, the spectacle, was driven by an Acosta, who, starting from seventh place on the grid, surpassed first MM93 and, then, Bagnaia, taking the risk, risking a lot in every overtake and enjoying the party.
“I couldn’t be happier, it couldn’t be, I dedicated this podium to my mother, who has her birthday today. It has arrived much earlier than expected, because I still have many things to learn and improve”
“I can’t be happier, no, although I still have a lot, a lot, to learn,” said the Spaniard, who is already fifth in the World Championship after the first two races of the year. “The truth is that I believe that, no matter how many expectations I raised in the pre-season, this podium has come much sooner than everyone expected. Today I managed the start much better than in the ‘sprint’ on Saturday, when I passed 15th in the first lap and that start got out of hand”. The ‘shark’, who dedicated the podium to his mother who is celebrating his birthday today, acknowledged that “on my best day” he has suffered a lot to overtake Bagnia. “The first overtake was crazy, I almost fell three times in the same maneuver and then I took it very easy and it came out. Phew! amazing!” Let’s not forget that Acosta, after two races, has left behind his teammate (Augusto Fernández) and the two KTM officials (Brad Binder and Jack Miller), which makes him the leader of the Austrian firm.
Not only was there this exciting finish in the last three laps, but, three laps from the end, when the positions seemed completely established (Martín, Viñales, Bastianini and Acosta), Márquez made an inside pass on Bagnaia to get fifth place, The two-time Italian champion refused to give up the position and both collided, with such bad luck that they fell to the ground. Race direction, as it could not be otherwise, judged the crash as a “race incident” in the fight for a better position. ‘Pecco’ abandoned, but Marc got up, took his ‘Desmosedici’ and finished 16th place. Then, he visited the Portimao circuit clinic and nothing is known about him (yet).
“Working with my psychologist I have learned to think about my career, to be calmer and to accept things as they come, because before I would go crazy on many occasions”
But there was still the final show, apart from the hammering of ‘Matinator’ in his fantastic lap by lap and the feat of Acosta, and it was the incomprehensible fall of ‘MVK’, who had had an impeccable race, retaining his second place after the victory in the ‘sprint’ on Saturday, just after crossing the finish line in Portimao and when he was preparing to make a last relaxed turn. “From the third lap, the gearbox was bad, the sixth gear didn’t fit and I was praying that it wouldn’t break until I crossed the finish line,” commented ‘MVK’ at the end of the race. “We are good, very good, we have taken giant steps with yesterday’s victory in the ‘sprint’, but we must work more in Noale for reliability, but we will do it, we will do it.” “It makes no sense, it is an immense mistake that cannot be repeated, having a driver as good as Maverick that these breakdowns occur,” said Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia. “The first law of every GP is that your motorcycles cross the finish line without breakdowns.”
And, yes, the one who won big, in a resounding way, was, once again, Martín, who dominated the race from the moment the traffic light went out and the checkered flag fell, in the hands of the Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, yes, yes, ‘Mou.’ “I no longer have doubts,” commented the Madrid native at the end of the race on DAZN. “My work with the psychologist is working. I no longer have doubts when I am on the bike, when I compete and, now, I can think more calmly while riding. Because, now, I calmly accepted what happens on the track and, today, “His Maverick would have pushed, I would have preferred second place than risking to win. That dialogue with myself is what makes me safer on the track this year.”
Drivers’ World Cup: 1. Jorge MARTIN (Spain, Ducati), 60 points; 2. Brad BINDER (South Africa, KTM), 42; 3. Enea BASTIANINI (Italy, Ducati), 39; 4. ‘Pecco’ BAGNAIA (Italy, Ducati), 37 and 5. Pedro ACOSTA (Spain, GasGas),
Race Direction decides not to sanction Márquez and Bagnania for their crash
The first big news from the second grand prix of this exciting Portuguese Grand Prix was the victory of Jorge Martín (Ducati) from Madrid. The second, the podium of Pedro Acosta (GasGas), who, with his third place in Portimao, becomes the third youngest driver in history to get on the ‘box’. And the third was the collision, accident and fall of Marc Márquez (Ducati) and the two-time champion ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia (Ducati).
Race management, after speaking with the two drivers at the same time and seeing the telemetry of both, considered that it was “a race incident” and, therefore, they did not want to sanction them for the next GP, which will take place. will compete in Austin (Texas, USA), on the weekend of April 14.
“We both agree with that decision,” commented Bagnaia, who considered it “very good and important” that both drivers speak in front of the stewards. “We absolutely agree that it should be resolved without sanction, since it is, in effect, a career move. It is evident that both Marc and I regret what happened, because we have not scored points and that damaged our plans.”
“I have seen the telemetry of ‘Pecco’ and I think that, in defending himself, he has been too optimistic. I think that, sometimes, one has to recognize that he is inferior and, on this occasion, I think that he was already overcome, but not nothing happens. He is in the fight to renew his title and I, as has been seen in Portimao, am not yet in that privileged situation. I have suffered three falls this weekend and all three without going at my maximum. I repeat, “I won’t say much, but I think the overtaking was correct and ‘Pecco’ should have accepted being overtaken. But, I insist, nothing happens.”
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2024-03-24 14:36:06
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