Pedro Acosta is one of the hottest talents on the MotoGP grid at the moment, and Neil Hodgson has labeled the young Spaniard a trait he shares with the ‘King’ of the premier class, Valentino Rossi.
While he has yet to record a first-place victory in Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Pedro Acosta He is widely regarded as one of the riders on the grid who will dominate the category in the coming years.
Acosta is currently the frontrunner to join Marc Marquez. For Ducati’s 2027 MotoGP campaign, the most sought-after seat for every rider on the grid due to Borgo Pangale’s prowess in recent years.
Although Massimo Rivola a Acosta and Marquez partnership ‘a match made in heaven’many have theorized about the spark both of the two high-powered riders flying in the Ducati box might possess.
Neil Hodgson says Pedro Acosta now has the same ‘perfect’ character as Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez.
When it appears on the back of the racer Podcast From motorcycle racing icons Nick Harris and former MotoGP rider Julian Ryder Neil Hodgson He offered his thoughts on the qualities contestants should possess to succeed in the premier class.
Recalling an example from his own career, the commentator said: “I remember going out as a wild card in the first few rehearsals.
“I’d sit behind drivers and wait for them to aim for the corner, and I’d let off the brakes and let them in. I was horrible, but you want that in you.”
“If you don’t have that in you, you’ll never win. And that for—— excuse my language, I’ve got it in me again, and that’s what I’ve got.”
“If you look at the greats, they’ve always had it that way. (Valentino) Rossi He was a king. He always has absolute aggression at just the right time.
“Obviously, (Marc) Marquez is the king of it. Pedro Acosta’s got it, right? And that’s all you want.”
Being compared to the Doctor is arguably the highest compliment a rider can receive in MotoGP. Acosta has made it clear that he has no plans to tone down the attack. Any time soon.
Despite leading the MotoGP crash list in his rookie campaign in 2024, the young Murcian told his KTM crew that he would continue to take every opportunity he could, which would be a fantastic way to turn a negative record into a positive one.
Pedro Acosta has been told in the past that he lacks one important quality that Valentino Rossi has.
Acosta is certainly a rider to watch in the premier class over the next few years, but he clearly has a long way to go before he can be seriously considered to be on the same level as Rossi or Marquez.
His ability to put himself in danger of crashing out of the race is one of the main reasons he has yet to win a MotoGP Grand Prix to his name.
MotoGP journalist Matt Oxley believes. Acosta does not have the ‘brilliant mind’ seen in Rossi In his multiple World Championship winning campaigns.
Aggression is a key ingredient to success in the Premier League, but keeping a cool head in tough situations is arguably just as crucial.
He still has a long way to go in his career, but Acosta’s progress as he matures in MotoGP should be impressive.
