Pedro Acosta turns around ‘dark’ MotoGP season with Czech GP sprint podium

The Spanish rider was leading the MotoGP sprint race, but had to settle for second after being passed by Marc Marquez

Pedro Acosta said it was “super nice” to be on the MotoGP podium again after what he dubbed the “darkest beginning of the season of my life".

Acosta narrowly missed out on his first MotoGP race win after a late overtake from Marc Marquez cost him the lead. The Spaniard eventually finished in second and picked up his first sprint podium since Aragon last year.

KTM Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini finished third, his best result of the season after he was replaced at Ducati by championship leader Marquez.

“It was super tough,” the 21-year-old said in his post-race interview. “It was the darkest beginning of the season of my life, and being on the podium again is super nice.

“It’s not easy when you come with a target, and from the morning to the night, everything disappears and you have to start from zero.

“I was making even worse races than when I was in my rookie season. It was never easy having the surgery in my arm and all these things.”

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Earlier this year, Acosta underwent surgery to treat compartment syndrome in his right forearm. The condition had impacted him since his MotoGP debut last year, so he underwent the medical procedure between MotoGP’s French and Spanish races.

The Czech GP marked something of a turning point for the Spaniard and he started the race in seventh. The Ducatis of polesitter Francesco Bagnaia and second-placed Marquez were ahead, before suffering tyre pressure problems during the race.

Marquez was able to recover, but Bagnaia dropped down the order and finished seventh.

When asked if he thought more was possible in qualifying, Acosta said: “I think between three and five was a good position for us in qualifying.

“But at the end, the race was going to be more or less how it was – around two and four was our possibilities.”

Speaking about Marquez’s penultimate-lap overtake, the young Spanish rider added: “At the end, it was clear that he was going to pass me sooner or later. But it was good anyway.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

“He was having one step more than the other ones.

“You could see how he was turning in Turn 1, and I was trying everything to close in Turn 3 to try to overtake in turn 5.

“Then I lost the front, and I said… ‘okay, let’s chill a bit, let’s make the race, put the bike home, and make a podium in the end'."

Marquez was briefly under investigation for his tyre pressure following the conclusion of the Czech GP, meaning the top step was within Acosta’s sights. But the championship leader was cleared and held onto his victory.

Despite missing out on the top step of the podium, Acosta dedicated his race to late Spanish European Superstock Championship rider Borja Gomez before the podium celebrations: “This is for Borja Gomez.”