Pedro Acosta is, possibly, the great talent of the future of MotoGP. At 19 years old, with a Moto3 title in his debut, a great debut in Moto2 and fighting for that crown in 2022, he is desired by all. He has a contract with KTM, his usual brand. Pit Beirer, head of competition for the Austrians, confirms that they want another year for him in the intermediate class and that if he wants to leave… they will let him go. Although until June 30, the end of the term to exercise an option on him, they will negotiate.
ASK. He has said that they want Acosta to stay in Moto2 in 2024 and that they are happy with his current four riders. But what if Pedro wants to get into MotoGP?
ANSWER. In this scenario, that would mean we still lose Peter. I will try to convince him and his manager that he is very young. Look at Dani Pedrosa and what he can do at 37 in MotoGP, so I feel like he’s in no hurry. We see it with all the riders who go up to MotoGP, in its first year it is difficult. I know that he is a superstar, an outstanding driver. I just want him to give us time to be ready for him. That is the reason why our goal is for him to be one more year in Moto2. He has the option and we have to talk to him about what that means, because we feel that not all the work is done with the four drivers we have under contract. Brad (Binder) and Jack (Miller) are, in any case, fixed on the team. Then we have Pol (Espargaró), who is back from his injury and we want to see him perform. And what can you tell Augusto (Fernández) that he is improving every week? He has, on paper, the first position among the ‘rookies’, so it is not that he can reach the ‘top’, but that he is already in the ‘top’, not only on paper. He is a fantastic pilot. We also have four fantastic people, very familiar, friends, it’s a group, an environment that you can’t even imagine. That is why this question puts us in difficulties and in big trouble.
Q. Is there any possibility in the contract to force him to stay or do what KTM wants?
A. I think the contract we have is very strong, but I can promise that we will not do that.
Q. So if you want to go…
A. We will not force anyone to do something they don’t want to do.
Q. Without paying anything like Raúl Fernández had to do to leave?
A. It’s a completely different scenario. Pedro is also a friend of ours. We have a great relationship with him and his people. We will find an agreement for both or there will be no agreement, we will not force him to be in Moto2 if you don’t want to be there anymore. For us he is too good a driver, too big a star, but he has to give us some time to plan a future together. Not forcing him by contract or breaking contracts.
Q. When is the deadline to reach an agreement?
R. (Laughs) Before the first Grand Prix next year.
