Tech 3: First impression of Pedro Acosta “wow!”, ‘Haven’t seen the limit’

Enjoying one of the best starts to a MotoGP season by a rookie, Pedro Acosta has caught the eyes of many in the paddock.

Acosta has been on the podium in either the sprint or grand prix in three of the four rounds to begin 2024. 

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The reigning Moto2 world champion has been sensational, so much so that he sits fourth in the championship and is the top KTM rider.

His incredible talent has consistently been on show and crew chief Paul Trevathan admitted the initial impression was a surprising one.

Trevathan said: “The first impression was a bit of a wow factor. All of us sort of looked at each other and went ‘what!’. The body position, the way he was using everything.

“It looked like he had been on the big for six months. He was super interested in all the technical parts, much more than you would normally find.

“The first touch, to be like that and not be afraid and to understand all these elements so quickly was incredible.”

In the same breath, Travathan said Acosta is very demanding and is a rider who needs to have great feel with his machine to go fast.

“I would say he’s quite fussy in terms of where we put everything. He uses his body in many different ways,” said Trevathan.

“For him, it’s really important that all the controls are in the right place and that he can feel everything to become natural. 

“It wasn’t difficult to be positioned on the bike but the fact of having the freedom to do everything he wants.

“This was the part we had to concentrate on. I don’t think we have developed a certain style and every time he jumps on the bike he is doing something better. I haven’t seen the limit yet.”

Along with the limit not being found, Acosta has not seen too much in the way of bike development due to how quickly he’s adapted.

Trevathan added: “Because of his growth rate and because of how much he is improving, we still haven’t really touched the bike.

“We looked where everybody was in Valencia and made an average of a starting point and then the base package we try to keep in a neutral way.

“I think we have kept a solid base and he has learned the bike in a trustworthy way.”