The “old-school” Moto3 rookie taking MotoGP by storm

If you wanted to give Pedro Acosta a ring following his sensational maiden Moto3 race win in the Doha Grand Prix, you’d have struggled to get through. In an unusual move for a 16-year-old in the modern day, Acosta elected to keep the hype off his shoulders by changing the sim card in his mobile phone as well as putting his focus elsewhere instead of social media.

“He’s a really funny boy with a good attitude, and how I see it, how he was handling it after his first win the week after, he was not really looking at Instagram or news,” Aki Ajo, team boss of Ajo Motorsport, tells Autosport. “And even changed his sim card in his phone. So, I think he was quite well prepared for that [increase in attention].”

And there was a fair amount of attention on young Acosta, as most of the motorcycle racing world had their gaze firmly on him as if Sauron had just spotted the One Ring during the Doha GP.

Despite his sickeningly young age, Acosta blazed a bit of trail into grand prix racing. He finished runner-up in his first season of the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2019 and dominated in 2020 to secure the crown. He paired his RBR Cup campaign with a full season in the CEV Junior World Championship, finishing third in the standings.

When the opportunity arose for KTM to place him in its main squad at Ajo Motorsport in the lightweight class of the grand prix world championship, the decision wasn’t one which needed much thinking about.

“We have seen already in the past two years his progress in FIM CEV and have of course followed him quite closely,” Ajo adds. “When there was the chance, when we were finalising our structure for this year, when there was finally a little chance to have Pedro in our team it was easy to make the decision to have him as our rider.”

Joining Ajo’s squad comes with a great deal of inadvertent expectation. The Ajo Motorsport set-up is something of a talent factory in grand prix racing. It was with Ajo where Marc Marquez made his mark in 2010 when he won the 125cc crown – the first of his eight grand prix world titles. And since then, Ajo Motorsport has helped a number of stars to break into MotoGP.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Ajo

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Jack Miller finished runner-up in Moto3 with the team in 2014; Brad Binder dominated the 2016 Moto3 campaign on an Ajo KTM; Miguel Oliveira was runner-up in Moto3 in 2015 and again in 2018 in Moto2, while Binder finished second in the standings in Moto2 in 2019. In 2011, Johann Zarco finished second in the 125cc class with Ajo and would win both his Moto2 crowns with the team before stepping up to MotoGP.

You get the picture then. If Aki Ajo wants you in his team, it’s for very good reason. But with that said, the world wasn’t expected of Acosta in 2021. No matter how good your pre-GP career scorecard is, the world championship is a completely different ball game and it is very easy for things to unravel.

Current MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo knows this all too well, having stormed his way into Moto3 in 2015 before failing to deliver on the promise which had many pegging him as the next Marquez. And more recently, having won on his first wildcard outing with Ajo at Valencia in 2018, promising Turkish star Can Oncu had a miserable debut season in 2019 and had to seek refuge in World Supersport last year.

So, even in the Moto3 class, being exceptionally talented on your way in is no guarantee of hitting the big time in grand prix racing.

After the race, Marc Marquez tweeted: “He’s good, very good. Congratulations on the first victory of many in the world championship.” As the saying goes, game recognises game

Acosta managed to finish runner-up to his more experienced race-winning team-mate Jaume Masia in his debut outing in the Qatar GP last month, and this hinted at the prospect Ajo and KTM had on its hands. But it was the week after where Acosta left little doubt as to what sort of rider he will be in grand prix racing.

One of seven slapped with a pitlane start for irresponsible riding in practice (adjudged to have been riding too slowly with a view to latching onto the tow of a passing rider), Acosta ended the first lap of the Doha GP some nine seconds off the back of the main pack. But working calmly and avoiding any scraps allowed him to get on terms with the lead group as the race erupted into a frenzy.

Taking the lead onto the start of the final lap, Acosta didn’t put a foot wrong as he stayed ahead of the pack to claim a stunning maiden win and a nine-point lead in the championship. After the race, Marc Marquez tweeted: “He’s good, very good. Congratulations on the first victory of many in the world championship.” As the saying goes, game recognises game.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Ajo

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Acosta’s Doha win had shades of two other legendary Ajo rides: Marquez coming from 17th in Portugal in 2010 to win having crashed on the sighting lap after a rain delay, and Binder coming from last at Jerez in 2016 to claim the first of his seven wins on the way to the title.

Ajo doesn’t like to make comparisons but noted in Acosta’s approach he sees a lot of Miller (whom Ajo also manages) and current Moto2 points leader Remy Gardner – also on an Ajo machine – in the Spaniard.

“It’s always really difficult to compare riders,” Ajo said. “There are many talented riders in this championship and nearly everyone has his style and his way to go. What I like in Pedro is he has this old school style, which maybe reminds me a little bit about Australian riders Jack Miller and Remy Gardner. This is not really normal anymore in the young generation. But if you use it well, it could be a really strong part of you to have in your working style, something from the old ways.”

Acosta admitted before that Doha race “everything was dark”, but Ajo told him to have fun. That advice has seemingly stuck with him. Once again using his head in the Portuguese GP and opting to sit behind Leopard’s Dennis Foggia, recognising the Italian had pace not worth fighting with until the last lap, Acosta scythed through into first on the final tour – somehow staying on his KTM on the run through the last corner after a wobble – to secure his second win.

“Before the race, Aki asked me ‘what is the race strategy’,” Acosta said after his Portugal win. “I say, ‘have fun for 25 minutes and then take the trophy’.” Acosta may have an old school Aussie approach, but his Portimao strategy was very much in line with the Marc Marquez way of thinking.

Of the 75 points on offer so far in 2021, Acosta has scored 70 of them to hold a 31-point lead in the standings. Since the introduction of the Moto3 formula in 2012, no rider has held such a commanding advantage in the championship after the opening three rounds of a campaign. And it’s come as a bit of a surprise to his team boss.

“Of course, we are very impressed by the performance of our lovely rookie boy,” Ajo beamed. “But in any case, we didn’t expect the start like this, to be leading the championship with many points after the first three races. On the other hand, you know my style, so I have to remind people to keep feet on the ground and focused for the work and for the working style we have.”

Heading to Jerez for the Spanish GP, Acosta must now shoulder a new pressure in his short grand prix career. Despite his status as a rookie, the form he is currently on and the intelligence he has shown in his riding means it’s impossible for him not to be considered a favourite – and it’s almost impossible for him not consider himself as such.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Ajo

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Ajo isn’t expecting this golden run to go unblemished, and admits there is a part of him that hopes Acosta will be faced with some tough moments to further his learning. But with that said, he is sure his young gun isn’t one to be rattled so easily.

Asked if Acosta would have more pressure on him now, Ajo said: “This is always the question and I think it’s not easy for a young rider when everybody starts to talk about you. But this is a test, and let’s say it’s not only a test but the learning process.

“I don’t expect that everything always goes perfect, and I even sometimes hope it’s not always going perfect sometimes because where we are learning is in the mistakes and in these [tough] moments. And we need it to get better and better all the time. If everything is going well, I think finally we are not complete, so it’s normal that you have these moments. But I don’t think Pedro is the first one who gets disturbed.”

Of the 75 points on offer so far in 2021, Acosta has scored 70 of them to hold a 31-point lead in the standings. Since the introduction of the Moto3 formula in 2012, no rider has held such a commanding advantage in the championship after the opening three rounds of a campaign

Acosta’s actions so far support Ajo’s thoughts. When Marquez’s congratulatory tweet was put to him after the Doha GP, Acosta’s response was: “Hopefully one day I'll be like him. Without the whole team, my parents and my assistant Paco, all this would not have been possible.”

It’s rare for a 16-year-old with the world at his feet to remain so unfailingly humble, but this seems to be the character we have with Acosta. Again, it’s a very Marquez trait, but Ajo isn’t one to suffer fools and his team is the perfect surrounding for a rider to keep grounded.

At some point, discussions will start to be had about Acosta’s future. He’s got a direct route to MotoGP with KTM through its ranks, but other manufacturers would be foolish not to express interest. They are already rumoured to be scouting out Ajo’s other star rookie Raul Fernandez, who won his first Moto2 race last Sunday in Portugal. If that’s the case, KTM has got a fight on its hands to keep Acosta in its fold.

This will be another challenge Acosta will surely face as his rookie season goes on. But as he’s already demonstrated, he looks more than equipped to deal with whatever is thrown his way.

MotoGP is enjoying a halcyon period of young star talents ascending the ranks and Acosta is making a big claim to be one of the most exciting riders we’ve ever seen. Just don’t expect him to pick up the phone anytime soon…

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Ajo

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images