Pedro Acosta is still chasing his first premier-class MotoGP victory, and Pol Espargaro believes this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring could be his best chance before leaving KTM. Espargaro, speaking on Thursday, threw his full support behind the young Spaniard.
Acosta currently sits fifth in the world championship. His eight runner-up finishes make him the most successful MotoGP rider yet to win a premier-class race. His only victory this season came in the Buriram Sprint, but a Sunday win remains elusive.
Espargaro, who is again replacing the injured Maverick Vinales at Tech3, thinks the Red Bull Ring suits Acosta's strengths. "I'm repeating every weekend, 'I hope that this weekend is the weekend [for Acosta],'" he said. "If there is a place, it's here. And I'm glad that it comes after good results in Misano and Aragon, tricky places where we struggle, so to come here should be better."
However, Espargaro stopped short of guaranteeing a win. "But I don't know how much, and I don't know if this is going to be enough for Pedro to win. I hope so, I think he deserves it. He should be winning much earlier. But as I didn't win any race in my [MotoGP] career, and I deserve a couple, he deserves much more than what he's got!"
The KTM test rider also praised Acosta's riding. "He's riding insane. I believe if not the best rider, he's equal to the best rider in the category at the moment. So I think he's going to get it soon."
KTM hasn't won a Sunday MotoGP race since Miguel Oliveira at Buriram in 2022. If not this weekend, the following Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi is another circuit where Acosta has excelled for KTM in the past.
With seven or eight grands prix remaining depending on the fate of Qatar, Acosta has several hard-braking circuits that should play to his strengths, starting with KTM's home event in Austria. It could be the perfect send-off before he joins Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati team for 2027.
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