– Pedro Acosta initially caused great jubilation in the KTM box during the MotoGP sprint at the Austrian Grand Prix. In the first lap, Acosta overtook Marc Marquez’s Ducati in turn 3 and took the lead. KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister and motorsport director Pit Beirer cheered in the box.
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Acosta was also able to immediately pull away from the pursuers. He built up a lead of around two and a half seconds in the first half of the race. He seemed on course for his second sprint victory.
But in the twelfth lap, the Spaniard crashed in the MotoGP chicane (turn 2A/2B). The TV replay clearly showed that he approached the chicane far too fast and missed the braking point significantly.
“I checked the remaining laps on the dashboard to keep an eye on fuel consumption and the number of laps. That’s when I messed up, that’s all.”
“I mean, I missed my braking point and yes, that was it,” Acosta takes responsibility for this mistake. Was it the wrong time to check such information on the dashboard?
“Three laps to go, three seconds lead. That’s exactly the moment when I usually ease off the throttle a bit to avoid taking any risks.”
“At the same time, that’s also the point where I lost a bit of concentration because of that. If I’m in the same position tomorrow, I definitely won’t ease off the throttle.”
Could the crash have been avoided by cutting the chicane?
Had he thought about cutting straight through the chicane to possibly prevent a crash? “Damn, I was so fast that it would have even been difficult to cut the corner, you know?”
“But… I also don’t know, considering the speed I had, my mistake wasn’t that huge. Yes, that was my own screw-up. I think we have a new chance tomorrow.”
Until this mistake, Acosta had the sprint under control. After eleven laps, his lead over Jorge Martin, who eventually won the sprint, was 2.4 seconds. There were only three laps left to go.
Was he surprised that he could control the race so dominantly until the crash? “Well, I was surprised that I was so damn fast at the start, because normally that’s exactly where I struggle the most.”
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“Besides, they had their own duel. That’s why I could just ride my own pace.” After the crash, Acosta completed one more lap and then retired in the box.
“I was outside the points, slow, and would have had to get the tires back up to temperature first. So there was simply no need to take any risks,” is his explanation for retiring.
KTM test rider Pol Espargaro is still not harsh on him, after all, the youngster brought KTM within reach of the sprint victory with his speed in the first place.
“With the speed Pedro showed this weekend, it’s absolutely understandable that something like this happens,” Espargaro thinks. “It’s insane how fast he is, and such things can definitely happen.”
Does this change his approach to the GP?
Acosta emphasizes, however, that the disappointment will not change his approach for the Grand Prix: “Not at all. I mean, I have nothing to lose.”
“Also, I am currently in a phase where I am showing more speed and more consistent results,” he refers to his recent podiums. “Therefore, the approach for tomorrow remains exactly the same.”
Tire management will play a big role on Sunday in the 28-lap Grand Prix. Fuel consumption is also a factor at the Red Bull Ring, as all manufacturers have to run leaner fuel mixtures.
Therefore, a different picture could emerge in the long race than in the sprint. Acosta is aware of this: “Let’s see how it ultimately looks with the medium tire.”
“Austria is typically one of the tracks where the picture can completely change from the sprint to the main race. Tire management and fuel consumption will play a decisive role this year.”
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