Acosta: Only goal is having fun, that's how things work best

As far as maiden grand prix victories go, it'll be hard for anyone to top rookie Pedro Acosta's pit lane-to-P1 charge in the Doha Moto3 race.

It's been followed by three more wins, for a total of five podiums from nine rounds and a worst result of eighth place, despite missing qualifying at Assen due to a nasty practice accident.

Such speed and consistency have also handed the Ajo KTM rider a big 48-point title lead over Sergio Garcia heading into the summer break, with next best Dennis Foggia 72 points adrift.

“For my debut season in the World Championship, it has been very positive," said Acosta, with a fair degree of understatement.

"We have worked well in this first part of the year and both the team, and I are happy and satisfied with how things have turned out at the first nine races."

Looking to the second half of the season, the 17-year-old insisted: "The goal is still to have fun.

"There have only been two races in which I set goals for myself, and they were Mugello [8th] and Montmelo [7th] - where I made several mistakes in the contest.

"That is why I want to continue to enjoy myself every time I go out on track, since that is how things work out best."

After being absent from the podium at Le Mans, Mugello and Catalunya, Acosta relished his return to the top in Sachsenring and 18th to 4th ride while injured at Assen.

“For me, the races in the Netherlands and Germany have been the most positive in the first half of the year," he said. "We came into them off two rounds in which our feeling wasn't the best, but when I got to the Sachsenring I felt strong again - both in practice and in the race, which we ended up winning.

"At Assen we suffered a big crash in practice, but on Sunday we were at the front. I think that these last few Grands Prix before the summer break have been the ones in which we have worked the best."

If there has been one area of weakness for Acosta it's qualifying, with only one front row start so far.

“If I had to change anything, it would be our way of approaching qualifying," said the Spaniard, winner of last year's Red Bull Rookies Cup. "At these last few rounds we have concentrated on doing our job, on finding a good pace, and it has not gone badly for us.

"For this reason, for the second half of the year I would like to continue with the work plan that we carried out at the last two races, in Germany and the Netherlands."

Acosta, who plans to spend part of the summer break training with his team-mates in Barcelona, is tipped to rise to Moto2 next season with Aki Ajo's team. Ajo could have two Moto2 vacancies should rumours prove true that Raul Fernandez is joining Remy Gardner at Tech3 KTM in MotoGP.