What Pedro Acosta learned from Marc Marquez fight at Italian GP

Marquez may have taught his 2027 factory Ducati partner more than he would have liked during their Italian GP scrap

Pedro Acosta says getting stuck behind his future MotoGP team-mate Marc Marquez during the Italian Grand Prix was an education.

Acosta, who is set to partner Marquez at the factory Ducati Team in 2027, needed the better part of 15 laps to make a move stick on the injured but tactically astute world champion at Mugello on Sunday.

Their battle, for what was at the time fourth place, was arguably the most entertaining aspect of the race. In a fight that saw Marquez repeatedly strike back after Acosta's overtaking attempts, particularly on the main straight, the Spanish pair kept it clean.

So post-race, they had nothing but praise for each other with Acosta even learning a thing or two from their battle, as the 22-year-old said: "I stayed behind him for quite a few laps to see if I could figure out how he was managing his tyres or what his race strategy was.

"Because last year we struggled a lot with the tyres. It helped me calm down a bit by riding behind him. Battles like this are what we need to get people hooked again. I wanted to understand the lines he was taking.

"I’m a heavy braker, Marc seems to be riding more fluidly and calmly now that he’s on the Ducati. I think this is one of the few times we’ve made it to the final three laps and he was still in the mix."

Hungary, 2025

Photo by: Qian Jun / MB Media via Getty Images

Marquez, 33, reflected on a job well done considering his physical limitations. But he also knew he had a good machine on his side, compared to Acosta's KTM.

"I was fighting against Acosta, it's true," the seven-time MotoGP champion said. "But I was fighting against him with a better bike. I tried to fight. I knew that I would lose that fight, but I said, 'OK, if I need to sell my skin, I will sell it in an expensive way'.

"We had a great battle there and the most important thing for me is that I completed the weekend - and that the starting point of my rehabilitation on the bike was not bad."

Speaking in his Spanish media brief, he also underlined that he would have a huge challenge on his hands when the youngster arrives in his garage next season. "He’s a brilliant rider, and once he’s got a better bike, I’m sure he’ll be in the running for the world championship," said Marquez.

The pair have already battled over a victory this season, with Marquez pushing Acosta aside to cross the line first in the Buriram sprint. The win was subsequently handed to Acosta after Marquez was penalised for the move.

Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont