Lorenzo raves about Acosta: ‘Riders like him are born once or twice in 10 years’

Lorenzo and Criville are both former MotoGP champions, and both have already identified Acosta as the next great rider of his era.

Marc Marquez was seen as a once in a generation type talent, as was Valentino Rossi, however, it looks as though Acosta is on his way to becoming another one of those rides.

• Marc Marquez attends final Honda Thanks Day 
• Marc Marquez addresses “earthquake” prediction among Ducati rivals

“Brutal, brutal. Without words about what Pedro Acosta has done in these three years,” said Lorenzo when speaking to DAZN. “Last year he didn’t fight for the Moto2 World Championship due to that untimely injury he had, but I believe he is predestined. He is predestined to be World Champion, he has already been in Moto3 and Moto2, but it will be in MotoGP.”

“I believe that riders like Pedro Acosta, one or two riders are born every 10 years. He really has it all. He has talent, he is disciplined, he works, he pushes himself, he wins races as if it’s like eating or walking... He sees it as normal.

“He has an excessive ambition. And then off the track too. He is a super nice person, humble, natural, funny, everyone likes him... He has it all.”

Acosta is the youngest world champion in both Moto3 and Moto2, while also being the only rider ever in the modern era to win both titles in the first three years of his grand prix career.

Speaking about his fellow countryman to Marca, Criville backed up the thoughts of Lorenzo, saying: “What can we say about Pedro Acosta that has not already been said? First of all, he is already a double World Champion after being in the World Championship for three years, and he’s also the youngest champion in the history of Moto2.

“What we already know is that no matter how many words we dedicate to him, it’s the results that speak. They speak loud and clear. And reading his statistics is an easy task for any inexperienced person in motorcycling. 

“Behind the results, there is sacrifice, suffering, determination, talent, more determination, training and more training.

“A Champion is not forged from nothing, everyone knows that. But his character, his humility, his spontaneity, his desire to learn and knowing how to keep his feet on the ground, in any situation… this has led him to achieve what he has achieved. 

“And the most beautiful thing of all is that he will achieve what he sets his mind to because there is only one of Acosta.”