Pedro Acosta has no doubts that Marc Marquez is the strongest candidate for the 2026 MotoGP title. According to the KTM rider, Marquez's current form and the remaining calendar give him an edge over his rivals.
Ahead of this weekend's San Marino Grand Prix, Marquez sits second in the standings, 19 points behind leader Jorge Martin. Not long ago, he trailed by over 100 points. Now, the reigning champion has won four of the last six grands prix, including a double at Aragon.
“Marc has made up so many points and is building a lot of momentum,” said Acosta, who will become Marquez's teammate at Ducati next year. “He has circuits coming up that suit him very well. Apart from Indonesia, I don't think there's a single one where he hasn't won. Of all the remaining races, that one and Portimao could go badly for him; I don't think he's ever finished there.”
Acosta added that Marquez can still be aggressive when needed, as shown in his first-lap pass on Bezzecchi in the Aragon sprint. “The moment Marc has to push, he'll do it, just like he did at the first corner in Aragon,” he said. “So, I see this going to be a tight race right up to the very end, but Marc is the one with the most experience. He should win this world championship.”
Meanwhile, Acosta himself is still chasing his maiden MotoGP victory. He identified Japan and the Asian circuits as opportunities for KTM to be competitive. “Normally in Japan, we are quite fast. If you take Asia overall, we are quite competitive at every track, except Phillip Island where I normally struggle,” he said. “But at the end, we have to try to find consistency in mechanical things, and then try to bring performance. At the moment, I'm happy because we are much more consistent in reliability, and we are not having any issues. So the first thing is done, now it's time to try to bring some performance.”
With the season still long, Acosta's comments add spice to the title fight. Marquez, with over a decade of experience at the top, seems ready to seize every opportunity. If he does clinch the title, it will be one of the greatest comebacks in modern MotoGP history.
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