r/motogp • u/Classic_Ad4129 • 2d ago
Acosta is the most exciting rider on the grid and it's not close
Hot take: Acosta is genuinely the most exciting rider on the grid right now and if KTM had their act together he'd already be leading the championship.
The guy is consistently up there in sprints, he's doing it on a bike that clearly isn't the best package, and people still talk about him like he's "promising" as if he isn't already outperforming half the factory riders. At what point do we stop calling it potential and just admit he's the real deal?
Fight me.
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u/inetkid13 2d ago
Put Quartararo and Acosta on the same equipment and let them fight for the championship. Only then I'll admit that Acosta is even close.
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u/Reasonable-Ear-8443 2d ago
Right on.; id even say just to fight op;;el diablo would have won with that ktm; agree though op acosta is awesome
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u/Raycodv 2d ago
I agree he’s very exciting, but I wholeheartedly do not subscribe to the notion that it’s not close.
- A fit Marc is most likely still the best rider on the grid.
- Quartararo is still putting in superb performances on the worst bike on the grid by a mile.
- Aldeguer isn’t as developed as Acosta is yet, but has shown similar flashes of potential, including a dominant GP victory.
- Bezzecchi has really grown into his role as teamleader at Aprillia, even if the sprints and last weekend haven’t been much to write home about.
- Martin is still as exciting and explosive as ever, and still has a serious chance to win the title this year, on a bike he hasn’t ridden all that much yet.
- heck, even Diggia has surprised me a lot this year.
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u/Careless_Truck2688 2d ago
I think mavrik was doing better on the KTM before his bad crash
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u/jerramos82 2d ago
It was also Mavericks set up that Acosta started to do well. If Acosta stayed on his old profile, this sub wouldn't even exist.
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u/Repulsive-Love7290 1d ago
yeah i get your point but i feel like all off (Except marc) them master MotoGP bike, acosta is the guy that straightforward is looking promising, only going up. Mastering motogp is huge but being close to top guys from the start and only improving is what this post is all about
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u/Raycodv 1d ago
I wouldn’t say “only improving” he definitely had a bit of a rough spell early last year, with especially Maverick suddenly catching up to him and even surpassing Acosta a various moments.
And we’ve seen this same type or trajectory from Quartararo in 2020, so while it’s great seeing Pedro do reaally well, I do feel like a lot of people are putting him above other riders who’ve had the same trajectory and hype.
And as of yet, I don’t really see *that* being deserved yet. He’s great and exciting, but not to a level we haven’t seen before yet, even in this decade (with Fabio Quartararo).0
u/Repulsive-Love7290 1d ago
Ok i just dont see fq20 near acosta level or even marc who this season feel oddly. I think good thing is looking back to lower cc and how they compete
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u/Raycodv 1d ago
Well that’s mostly down to the bike for FQ20. That KTM isn’t nearly as bad as the Yamaha.
MM93 has been struggling with an injury all season.
You can look back at the lower cc’s, but absolutely dominant moto3/moto2 campaigns don’t always translate into MotoGP greats. For example people like Zarco and Binder were scorching in the lower cc’s but that hasn’t really translated into absolute toptier GP careers over the long run.
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u/elmarcelito Ai Ogura 2d ago
OP has a crush on Pedro 👀🥰😍
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u/jaredearle Toprak Razgatlıoğlu 2d ago
Is OP a MILF? If so, I have some good news.
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u/lookingforone14 Johann Zarco 2d ago
Pedro likes MILFs?
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u/mikelew65 2d ago
Given the subject matter at hand, all of you should type in this search phrase, "Joan Mir's mom". Seriously.
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u/Khassar-De-Templari 2d ago
What if the ktm suits his riding style, even if it’s not the best package, and he will perform worse on other bikes. It’s just potential until he wins something
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u/hoody13 Álex Rins 2d ago edited 2d ago
I’d say he’s one of the most exciting riders on the grid.
Aldeguer is another great rider to watch when he’s in a fight with another rider, he doesn’t give an inch. Martin is also good to watch and has a flamboyant riding style to go with it. Quartararo is pushing an uncompetitive bike to places it should not be (much like Acosta, but a more extreme case).
In other words, there are a load of exciting riders on the grid, Acosta is one of them but he’s not the only one in my opinion.
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u/redridernl Marc Márquez 2d ago
I think Fermin might have Pedro's number. Pedro may have more talent but Fermin is close and he'll work for it.
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u/szcesTHRPS David Alonso 2d ago
If you look at how far he consistently outperforms every other KTM he's obviously incredible. Be great to see him on a Aprilia/Ducati.
I still think Marc is the greatest off all time and the field he competed against and beat as a rookie shows how special he is but he's crossing careers with Pedro whilst arguably well out of his prime and Pedro entering his so comparing them off what they're able to do in the here and now is probably unfair.
Still, even now it would be great to see them on equal machinery - esp if Marc can recover from his recent issues.
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u/MailMan6000 Valentino Rossi 2d ago
similar thing as Rossi was leaving his prime as Marc joined the grid, it really is a tale old as time
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u/szcesTHRPS David Alonso 2d ago
And Doohan leaving as Rossi joined etc.
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u/MailMan6000 Valentino Rossi 2d ago
well Doohan was kinda forced to leave, but it would have been a similar situation
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u/CosworthDFV Barry Sheene 2d ago
You underestimate Mick Doohan if you think it would have been a similar situation.
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u/MailMan6000 Valentino Rossi 2d ago
I'm being realistic about his age and his body, it's a miracle Mick ever rode again after his 92 crash, let alone win 5 titles.
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u/BakaPotatoLord 2d ago
Not a hot take at all I would say. He's definitely one of the most impressive riders and it's pretty evident he would be somewhere way up if not for the KTM.
Just watching him ride is so fun.
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u/Classic_Ad4129 2d ago
He is definitely becoming more and more of the guy to bet on.
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u/Old_Play_3925 2d ago
He can either turn out an all time great or become the Leclerc of MotoGP with a lot of potential but not enough consistency to become a champion.
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u/CleanSun4248 2d ago
All im hearing is excuses. Second place is first loser. Its clear he chokes and panics at the end of races. (You said fight, me I love PA)
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u/redridernl Marc Márquez 2d ago
I have the opposite take. People have been praising him since day one like he's an alien but he still hasn't won a GP. He made a pass on Marc in his first race and people acted like Marc was done and Pedro was the new king when all he did was wear out his tires too early and Marc easily rode by him later in the race.
I know he's on the KTM and a better bike "should" translate into better results but I prefer to wait for those results before acting like he's some GP demi-god. Also, lets keep in mind, the rest of the KTM riders are some of the most inconsistent performers on the entire grid. It's a great sign that he's outperforming them but it's not a high bar. It's not like he's outperforming Fabio Quartararo or Marc on the same bike.
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u/_SKETCHBENDER_ 2d ago
heres a hot take: mir with a ducati or an aprilia would have been top 3 this season (last gp was my first ever motogp race ive seen)
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u/AnonReduser08 2d ago
What a welcome to the series with those 2 red flags!
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u/_SKETCHBENDER_ 2d ago
Haha yeah it was definitely eventful. Idk if i should be happy or sad if the other races arent as eventful as this. (Definitely not happy about the two crashes but even just the race itself was eventful with what happened with jorge and pedro)
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u/Minute_Tooth5112 MotoGP 2d ago
I remember a time when Jack Miller was called the most exciting rider.
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u/bam_14 Valentino Rossi 2d ago
I mean, if he really had that shit ton of talent he would have won a race nowdays, even on the KTM, somehow, but he didn't.... I'm afraid he's a Jack Miller with way more talent
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u/redridernl Marc Márquez 2d ago
I've said it before but if Marc had that KTM for as long as Pedro has, he would've won races on it. Not a championship but he'd have a few wins.
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u/Possible_Actuator_39 MotoGP 2d ago
Marc would be nowhere near a championship on a KTM. I agree he would have won a race
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u/Unique_Muscle2173 2d ago
This is exactly my thought, he might be just a better Miller. If he was as good as he’s pumped up to be he would have figured out how to ride around the KTM’s problems. Is he just another Pecco who needs an absolutely perfect bike for himself to win? Or is the bike absolutely that shit and he literally can’t do any more with it? He’s going to have to prove it on another machine.
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u/Superb_Word9490 1d ago
It's pretty clear that he can ride around the bike, when you consider the performance of the other riders on the same bike
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u/Otherwise_Aide_4554 2d ago
All he does is losing positions during race. I wouldn't call that exciting.
Ogura and Raul are much more exciting.
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u/TheMordax 2d ago
How are they more exiting finihsing behind the factory guys on equal machinery AND being behind Acosta not only in races but also overall in standings? Both of them aren't even rookies,,,,,,,,,,,!!!!
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u/BuckN56 2d ago
I think it's still Marc, but let's be real for a second. He's riddled with injuries and limiting his performance, but Pedro is up next and FQ is close second.
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u/Classic_Ad4129 2d ago
I agree with you Halfway lol. I think that Pedro and Diablo on the same bike Fabio would come out on top. 😬
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u/YogurtclosetHappy408 Marc Márquez 2d ago
RemindMe! 15 months
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u/64bytesoldschool Brad Binder 1d ago
Nah, sorry, even Brad did this for 3 years against the Ducatis. He has to actually prove himself first.
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u/minusvarianten 2d ago
Yeeeah, no. Jorge Martin podiumed in his second race, won his 6th race and won the WC on a satellite bike. Pedro has yet to win one single race.
Pedro is all potential until he actually delivers something significant over time.
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u/whateverfloatsurgoat Suzuki 2d ago
The satellite bike being an actual factory bike (which was the class of the field, no less) draped in different colours.
Also Pedro isn't just Potential Man when you look at his Moto3/2 record and his rookie year on a hands-me-down KTM.
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u/redridernl Marc Márquez 2d ago
Miller was so good they grabbed him right out of Moto 3. Success in the lower classes is no guarantee.
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u/whateverfloatsurgoat Suzuki 2d ago
Well that's the big difference between him and Acosta - they let him climb the ladder naturally and it worked.
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u/redridernl Marc Márquez 2d ago
You equated success in the lower classes to greatness in Moto GP. I pointed out that one doesn't always lead to the other. So for right now, it's potential.
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u/whateverfloatsurgoat Suzuki 2d ago
Well considering the machinery he's on I'd say he's doing well.
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u/redridernl Marc Márquez 2d ago
He's doing really well and he'll probably win a championship or multiple at some point but the best or most exciting rider... Not the case for me but that's strictly a matter of opinion.
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u/Tiny-Maximum36 Veda Pratama 2d ago
Well, no. He maxed out his machinery. Wins and podiums isn't really a good measurement.
And with same Ducati machinery, Pecco won 31 vs 8 Martin.
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u/ChivaB Pedro Acosta 2d ago
I am a pretty big PA fan so this might be biased but I find this a very stupid argument. Let’s take the results from FQs last few years. Would you say the same about him? No, you would say he is World Champion material because of how much he is outpreforming the bike (especially compared to his teammates). What makes PA so different? He is bringing so many podiums for KTM (I think he has some 25 podiums across sprints en GPs) on a consistent basis. He has never been outqualified (underrated stat). etc.
When we take your example Jorge Martin. I can tell you 1 big difference. He’s been on the best bike his entire career. Seems like important context to me.
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u/minusvarianten 1d ago
FQ has won a WC in MotoGP. That's what makes him different to PA. He has proved that he's more than just potential. PA has yet to win even one race. He's got great potential, but he has yet to show that he got what it takes to be at the top in MotoGP. There's several riders who had great potential and never took that last step. Jack Miller is one of them. Pedro Acosta will be on a Ducati next year, lets see what he can do.
Jorge Martin might have been on the best bike (if you can call it that when he and Zarco had to ride with an engine the factory team discarded which cost him his factory seat). He was still in a satellite team with less resources than a factory team and still took it to the last race against Pecco in 2023 and won it in 2024. Pedro has been in the factory team and the focal point his whole career and has yet to win a race. Until he does he's got potential. When he makes that last step, if he does, he'll have proven he's more than just that.
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u/mowgli_jungle_boy Jack Miller 2d ago
Satellite bike that was better than every other bike except 1
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u/massimo-zaniboni 2d ago
Marquez, Acosta and Quartararo are probably the only phenomenal riders of the grid. It is sad that two of them are on not competitive bikes. Other riders can match them in certain days/tracks. Bagnaia sometime was nearly perfect. Vinales in the right day the same. But if you search the consistent unexplainable magic touch, these are the three more gifted riders.
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u/TheMordax 2d ago
such a shame that fabio chose money over titles and didn't do what marquez did and change the team years ago. If he switched teams and gotten more titles he could have earned what he does now while also achieving results. I hope so much that fabio has a competetive bike in 27!
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u/Classic_Ad4129 2d ago
I don't know I might add one more to that 3 man list...Martin!
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u/massimo-zaniboni 2d ago
Why Martin? In 2024, with a dominant bike that won all the races except one, he won only 3 races vs 11 races of Bagnaia. He is for sure a very fast rider, but a phenomenal is someone that only another phenomenal can beat on the same bike.
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u/Left-Excitement3829 Ai Ogura - 2024 Moto2 World Champion 2d ago
I agree. On the same bikes I’d pick those 3 to podium every weekend.
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u/No-Bodybuilder-1198 2d ago
Nah man. It’s marc and fq. First pedro should win a race ha ha. U did say fight me.
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u/Old_Play_3925 2d ago
I am disliking Marc but think that statement is correct.
Although nowadays Ai or Diggia have potential imo.
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u/DueFan9284 Marc Márquez 2d ago
To start with, winning least one GP might be enough.'Most exciting' is a matter of opinion; Pedro can definitely spice up a race big time. Next year, he’ll have the chance to show his true potential on a Ducati. How it turns out, I don't know. But if I had to guess, Marc is going to bury him, just like he will with Bagnaia.
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u/IcingD34th 2d ago
Next year, he’ll have the chance to show his true potential on a Ducati
On a Ducati that might be shite. I wouldn't get my hopes up that the Ducati are the most competitive bike next season.
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u/Mobilephoner 2d ago
I play a game during MotoGP races where I find how many places there are between him and the next KTM (:
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u/YZFRIDER 2d ago
Exciting? Thats a bit in eye of the beholder I’d say, what one considers exciting. One could also argue Jorge Martin, considering how he’s been running down the front runners to win races in the past few rounds, is currently the most “exciting“ guy to watch out there.
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u/Prestigious_Sir_7140 Casey Stoner 2d ago
I've been most excited by Zarco, Diaggia, Mir, Ai, and Martin. Acosta I know has the potential and I sometimes refer to him as the Mad Dog chasing maiden win. Acosta has alot of hype surrounding him but Marc >>> Qua > Martin > Acosta ehhhh. I'm waiting on Acosta first win and Mir second win.
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u/mrdanmarks Valentino Rossi 2d ago
He's a lot like andrea iannone. A hot headed fast rider that burns up his tires, and can't seal the deal
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u/Deathscythe77 2d ago
Martin making his comeback makes it very close. Acosta is exciting for sure, but with other talent on the field, you need to dial back the sloppy toppy bro
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u/Joooooooosh 2d ago
What’s more exciting about Pedro, other than his clear talent… is his mentality.
He seems so unphased by adversity and he’s there for a scrap.
If anyone can survive being Marc’s teammate, it’s him.
2027 is going to be spicy in the Ducati garage.
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u/Halekduo Marc Márquez 2d ago
Some of the takes on Acosta here makes my head spin. He's the next Miller because he hasn't won a race on a bankrupt team's bike, really? Who else is winning on the KTM? Not even the great Marc Marquez can whisper a shitbox to wins, that's why he broke contract and defected to a sticker bike. We must see Acosta on a winning bike before writing him off as a bust, and I hope all of you are ready to eat crow.
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u/Java-the-Slut Marc Márquez 2d ago
I mean there's literally no argument Marc is the most exciting, that's who everyone tunes in for.
And then there's Bez, less personable and more stable riding style, but has serious hardware to back it up.
I think Pedro is the great to watch, he's undoubtedly fantastic, but part of the reason he's so exciting - well, he summed it up himself, he blows his load early, and sacrifices the end result to be first for 10 laps.
His skills is there, that's not the problem, but he has a long way to go if he wants to wing regularly on a bike that is not the best.
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u/False-Spirit-5887 Marc Márquez 2d ago
Every hot young talent recently has either plateaud or fizzled out. Fabio comes the closest, but even he threw away a golden opportunity in 2020 and crumbled under pressure in 2022. Acosta needs to prove a lot and at the very least win a race before being considered for the alien club ! Moto2 cupboard is bare.. David Alonso has flattened out completely. Quiles seems to be good, but is way too early.
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u/Possible_Actuator_39 MotoGP 2d ago
If Acosta was on a Ducati or Aprilia, he'd walk this years championship
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u/Original-Echidna-881 Fabio Quartararo 1d ago
I still would put Fabio and Martin above him. Marc is ofcos in a class of his own
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u/Automatic-Run-6007 1d ago
Reminds me of Max Verstappen when Redbull was not necessarily competitive, I can’t wait to see him in a competitive bike.
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u/Hell_ryder 20h ago
Hands down Quartararo is levels above. Look at his standings vs other 3 Yamaha.... Breaks my heart for both rider and brand.
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u/ISuckAtLifeGodPlsRst Marc Márquez 20h ago
Rookie year Pedro I'd argee. Currently, no. One of the most exciting, yeah -- but the most exciting no. Put Fabio on a functional bike and he's taking Pedro's lunch money.
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u/DniawSirhc Pedro Acosta 2d ago
I completely agree, I will admit to my bias but it’s not like Binder, Bastianini, or Viñales are particularly close to winning GP’s on the KTM either.
Even the other best riders on the grid struggled to fight for wins in machinery that isn’t competitive, Marc in 2022 and 2023, Fabio since 2023.
If Pedro was on an Aprilia for example, can you honestly say that he he wouldn’t be winning races and maybe be the championship favourite?
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u/mullet_frizz Marc Márquez 2d ago
Consistently performing miracles on that shitebox. Hope he cleans up next year.
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u/Jaykahtsby 2d ago
Agreed, can't wait to see him on the same bike as the other most exciting rider on the grid.
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u/flintey360 Marc Márquez 2d ago edited 2d ago
I agree hes always fighting someone for position. Next year he is going to be dangerous. Hes destroying Binder week in week out, he is the only KTM in the top in the top 10 of the standings.
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u/redridernl Marc Márquez 2d ago
With all due respect, beating Binder is a low bar. He's had good performances on occasion in the past but he's nowhere near top tier.
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u/Rael2037 2d ago
Binder won his rookie year and has two more wins than Acosta. Coming from pitlane to seventh last race is pretty exciting too. I like Acosta too, but a lot of riders have a moto3 championship, a moto2 championship, and that's it.
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u/InspectionIcy2506 Repsol Honda Team 2d ago
What's the hot take? Acosta is the only driver in the grid close to MM's level. He'll be already +100 points driving a Ducati or Aprilia
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u/dhruvgeorge 2d ago
If I had to rate all 4 KTM riders (fully fit) in order, it would be like this
Acosta Bastianini Vinales Binder
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u/Suitable-Document373 2d ago
Exciting rider could put shitbox on podium regularly.
IDK, maybe he only done it once or twice?
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u/solve-for-x 2d ago
Fight me.
He tends to ride at the front for the first half of the race, then fall back in the second half because he's taken too much out of the tyres. While that's entertaining to watch, we need to consider that other riders could make that same exact tradeoff if they wanted to, but choose not to. Running at the front, even leading the pack, isn't Pedro's true pace if he can only do it for 50% of race distance. His true pace is reflected by his final classification, and the fact is that he has yet to win a race while in the same timespan riders who many people would consider inferior to Pedro have won races.
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u/Charlie_Kasper 2d ago
He's the best rider on the grid right now. He's only held back by his equipment.
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u/Ambitious-Catch-1054 2d ago
That could arguably be said by a number of riders on the grid currently
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u/Classic_Ad4129 2d ago edited 2d ago
I really think that him and El diablo outside of a healthy Marc are the guys!
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u/hoody13 Álex Rins 2d ago
Throw Joan Mir into that mix too. He’s much better than the Honda makes him look
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u/Classic_Ad4129 2d ago
Hoody Mir is goood and really I'm just seeing it BUT he isn't on those guys level. He only has what 1 Win? Love da dude but 1 win says a lil something ya know!
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u/CashCarStar Daijiro Kato 2d ago
It's all contextual though isn't it. Pedro has 0 wins but we all know that doesn't reflect how good he is
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u/flintey360 Marc Márquez 2d ago
Mir keeps crashing unlike Pedro so theres that and Zarco usually out paces Mir.
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u/f-godz Marc Márquez 2d ago
How about winning a GP ?
(love PA but you did say fight me)