Pedro Acosta He was happy with his first place in Practice on the opening day of the Valencian Community MotoGP Grand Prix, in Cheste. However, the KTM rider was more than cautious about whether this meant that his long-awaited first victory in the premier class is closer.
Victory on Sunday and dye?
“That was what Dani (Pedrosa) said. We have to continue along the line we are following. It is true that in the ‘time attack’ (one-lap attempt) and with the soft forward, I think I have had more problems than I expected. It has been a little more complicated without much meaning. We have to continue working on the same path that we have been on since the summer, which is making us very competitive and there is no need to be in a hurry”
Options and room for improvement
“There are a lot of competitive people this weekend. There is Marco Bezzecchi with the Aprilia, who has been quite unstoppable lately. There are also the VR46 bikes, Álex Márquez is fourth… We have to take it easy, see what tires we decide to use for the sprint race and work a little on the pace and tire consumption, which here is going to be almost more important than in Portimao.”
The classification session, key
“Yes, the qualifying session is going to be the most important thing of the weekend. I saw it in Portimao. The moment I start out in front, I don’t have to push the first laps so hard. Then they went away, but at least I had options in the Sprint race. We have to take it calmly, concentrated and without making mistakes, which I think this Friday was a very easy day to make. Let’s see how far we can go.”
Tires and their wear
“It’s going to be difficult for us in turns 13, 8 and 9. We have many corners in a row that stress the tires. We have to concentrate a lot and try to drive like this from Friday so that it comes out more naturally.”
Acosta, in Cheste.
Duel with Bezzecchi
“Bezzecchi is showing a higher pace than the others. Aprilia has improved a lot and Bezzecchi is riding at his best since he was third in the general classification with the Ducati VR46 (2023). Both Bezzecchi and Aprilia are in a good moment. If we encounter him, we have to know what weapons to play with.”
Tracks about Bezzecchi
“The Aprilia spins a lot and is a fairly stable bike. The KTM always moves a little more, skids a little more… I think I’m not as disadvantaged as I was in Portimao with those long corners, so much traction and starting so fast. Here I can play my cards, but I think Bezzecchi is in one of his best forms.”
The court factor
“In the end it is always a pleasure to come to Valencia because it is the race that is closest to my house and in which I have always felt most loved by the fans. If we are not fast, it is of no use to us. I think we are doing quite well and let’s see if we can make the fans happy.”
Second time riding in Cheste with a MotoGP
“This morning, before getting on the bike, I told my mechanics that it wasn’t going to be very difficult to improve what I did that day. That day I crashed in turn 2 because I had to look down to unhook the ‘devices’ (devices to lower the bike) and I didn’t have time for much. The straights were very short and I was focused on everything except riding. Cheste is a circuit in which I have always had a great time. When I had When I was 12 or 13 years old I was on the circuit team and it is a track where I have done many laps”
Importance of coach Carmelo Morales
“I think I’ve gotten a lot more refined on the bike. I’m not as aggressive as I was before. Maybe before I pushed a lot with the good cards I had and I forgot a little about the others. Now, I can use more things about my riding. Above all, it’s helped me calm down. At the beginning of this year I was bitter because things weren’t working out for me. When I pushed, things worked out even less. There came a moment when it was: ‘Dude, relax. Go to the races.’ “Have a good time and then we start.” He came to Aragon, where I was fourth. In the second half of the season he has come to all the races and things have improved. It helps me with the approach to the weekend and knowing where to put my energy because MotoGP is a very stressful weekend.
