Pedro Acosta has made it clear he is not thinking about the MotoGP 2026 world title. Instead, the KTM rider is targeting top-five finishes in every race, with podiums as a welcome bonus. His statement came after an impressive Friday practice session at Motegi, Japan.
Acosta set the second-fastest time, just 76 milliseconds behind Alex Marquez's record. With that result, he secured a spot in Q2 and is ready to fight for victory this weekend. He described the feeling on the bike as very positive, even matching his sensations from 2024.
“I'm very happy, the bike is going quite well, everything is going quite well. The feeling is quite similar to 2024. I'm much better than in 2025, so I'm very happy,” said the rider nicknamed ‘Tiburon de Mazarron’. He also praised the team's hard work in finding a strong base setup since the first four races of the season.
Interestingly, Acosta highlighted the different characteristics of the Motegi circuit after its resurfacing. “One of the biggest differences is that the new asphalt works differently and the tyres are also different. But it's true that, in terms of tyre management, if you analyse the whole season, we did much better than last year,” he explained. He believes this advantage will help him be more competitive for the rest of the season.
Looking ahead at the calendar, Acosta admits not all circuits suit him. “Normally in Indonesia I'm quite fast. But on the other hand, it's true that Bezzecchi was undoubtedly the fastest last year by a big margin. Then we go to Australia, where I normally struggle a bit; it's not my best circuit. But I hope this year, with the lower tyre wear we have, we can improve,” he said.
Despite several races remaining, Acosta is reluctant to speculate about the title. “I'm far away. I mean, in the end many mistakes are made. My goal is to stay in the top five in every race and if I get on the podium in some of them, that will be good. I think, for now, this is the season where I've achieved the most podiums,” he concluded. He also reaffirmed his commitment to repaying KTM's trust with the best possible results.
With a race-by-race approach, Acosta proves his maturity as a young rider. Focusing on performance rather than title pressure could be the key to maintaining consistency until the end of the season.
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