Pedro Acosta on “super nice” Czech MotoGP Sprint: “Not normal that Marc lets you pass”

While Pedro Acosta’s podium finish in the Czech MotoGP Sprint was “super-nice”, he was aware that the laps he was leading were not “true”.

Acosta ran third for the first half of the 10-lap Czech MotoGP Sprint, but was let through into second by Francesco Bagnaia on lap five, then into the lead by Marc Marquez on the next lap as the Ducati Lenovo teammates tried to mitigate tyre pressure concerns.

Acosta said that he was aware something strange was happening to the two factory Ducati riders when they let him through.

“I imagined,” Pedro Acosta said after the Czech Sprint, speaking to MotoGP.com.

“It’s not normal that guys like Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia] and Marc let you pass like this.

“Anyway, I was giving my 100 per cent every lap, I was just trying to not make mistakes to be as fast as possible and it was quite okay.”

Acosta said that the podium came after “the darkest start” to a season in his career.

“For sure, [it has been] the darkest start of the season in my career, in the championship,” he said.

“Super-nice to be back, super-nice to battle like this. It’s true that ‘leading’ was not that true, but, anyway, it was nice to make some laps in front.

“Taking out Marc [Marquez], I think I was the most competitive one because then I was having a gap with third and fourth.

“I think, for this, we have to be happy. We were making a good job since Le Mans, since I got my surgery in the arm. Now we have to keep rolling.”

Speaking more about Marquez’s pace, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider added: “You only have to see the pace that he was showing before going in P2.

“For this, it was clear that he was having something more than the rest.

“But, anyway, it was nice to lead some laps and it was nice to be able to somehow follow with him in the last laps.”

Acosta was joined on the Sprint podium at Brno by his KTM stablemate Enea Bastianini. The Murcian said the RC16’s performance in Czechia was down to the grip of the new track surface.

“This high amount of grip is helping us a lot,” he said.

“It’s true that not every track will be like this and I think we have the clear idea for what to change before Austria.

“For this, now it’s time that we improve. Let’s stay calm and try to keep in this way.”