Ruben Xaus, former WorldSBK rider turned analyst, recently shared his views on this MotoGP season's competition in an interview. He highlighted the increasingly competitive performance of Pedro Acosta and how it affects Marc Marquez's psychology. According to Xaus, Marquez now realizes he doesn't just have one rival, but three or four riders capable of fighting at the top level.
“Marc had one rival, or at least that's what he thought, and now it turns out he actually has three or four,” Xaus said. This statement came after the Austrian Grand Prix, where Acosta made a mistake in the Sprint but bounced back to win on Sunday. Aprilia showed great potential at the Red Bull Ring, while Ducati underperformed, adding to the dynamics of the competition.
Xaus believes Acosta still has a chance to be in the title fight this year. “If we take a moment to add up the two or three mistakes Pedro has made throughout this year, and if we could fix them all, he would be right there, in the fight. Maybe he wouldn't be fighting for the title or truly competing for the championship, but he would certainly be lurking in the shadows,” he explained. He added that what Acosta is doing now is exactly what Marquez achieved with Ducati: finding a team and a complete unit.
According to Xaus, the only thing Acosta lacks right now is that little extra performance that a Ducati can extract. “But since he has such good control of the bike, he rides it as he wants, enters corners as he wants, and makes the KTM look like a competitive and good bike for those of us watching from the outsideg What's missing is the power they brought this weekend,” he said.
Xaus also highlighted KTM's efforts to improve their engine performance. “They surely worked at home with the new material and new engines before opening the engine, so that when installing the new parts, they knew they had a guarantee, one, of success, so the engine would hold up, and two, that it had a little more power, even if only by adding those 500 RPM. Because it was visible that KTM was pulling against the Ducatis and, without using the slipstream, they overtook them in parallel,” he analyzed regarding KTM's engine crisis.
Looking ahead to the final part of the season, Xaus predicts that KTM and Acosta will have a more competitive package than many expect. “I think KTM and Pedro will have a more competitive package in the upcoming races than many expected. They had already been written off, and I think Marc's concern is Pedro's competitiveness. It's not something that has just emerged now with KTM, but something that has come to stay in the future. And right now, Marc: ‘Wow, I have another rival,’ and that's already three more bikes,” he concluded.
With these statements, Xaus highlights that MotoGP competition is getting tighter and no one can underestimate the strength of teams like KTM. Acosta's victory in Austria is a signal that he and KTM are ready to deliver surprises in the remaining season. Meanwhile, Marquez, who has been considered dominant with Ducati, must be wary of new threats coming from various directions.
This article cites Ruben Xaus's statements in an interview with Duralavita, discussing the Austrian Grand Prix and its implications for this season's MotoGP world championship battle.
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