Pedro Acosta: I’m always fast here, but always crashed!

MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta’s first target at this weekend’s French MotoGP will be to reach the chequered flag without falling.

The teenager has crashed in all three of his previous Le Mans appearances, albeit remounting to finish eighth in the wet 2021 Moto3 event.

He then qualified on pole for his debut year in Moto2, but fell from the lead. Last year saw Acosta slide out of an early second place.

“It’s a track that I really enjoy,” said Acosta, now riding for the French-based Tech3 GASGAS team in the premier-class.

“Every time in the last three years that I’ve come here, I was fast, but I always crashed! So let’s try to make this the first season that we finish a race!

“Anyway, it’s my second ‘home’ GP in a row. For this I’m super happy to see all the fans and super happy to share this weekend with all my team.”

Acosta arrives at round five holding fourth in the world championship, as the top KTM rider, having achieved two GP podiums and second place in the Jerez Sprint.

“I think no one in the team expected this,” Acosta claimed. “It's true that there is still [a long] way to go. We are only at the beginning [of my MotoGP career] and we need to fail many times to learn.

“It’s a nice and sweet moment now, but for sure [other] ones will arrive sooner or later.”

“I was expecting Pedro to be on the top, even if it's not my question!” quipped Johann Zarco, sitting alongside Acosta in the Le Mans pre-event press conference.