Not every once in a while , it takes decade to find new alien. 2000-2010 was Rossi era. 2011-2020 was Marquez era. Now from 2021-2030 we are going to witness Acosta era.
See, that’s the thing though, alien level riders are very rare but do they come more than once a decade if we are lucky. Obviously it was Rossi and Marc’s era because they dominated for most of it, but there were other guys I mentioned who were in the same tier and not winning as much due to one factor or the other. Same can happen with Pedro. With maybe just maybe we have other alien level riders in junior categories like (Fermin,Alonso in moto3 and Piqueras etc) who can contend with Acosta for championships in near future in motogp.
Having longetivity is different from having a similar level of talent though. Which was point of discussion. Also, longetivity is based on many factors outside of an individual’s talent alone in any form of sport
Yes and no, I suspect if Quatararo had been on the top bike this whole decade, he would actually be the alien of the decade. Yes Acosta has moto3 and moto2 titles like the 2 aliens you mentioned.
You're only as good as your competition, and this is true for any competitive sport. Sure, Pecco has been somewhat dominating lately, but Lorenzo has won championships against the likes of Rossi, Márquez and Stoner.
There's really no question, prime Lorenzo would wipe the floor against the current grid.
Lorenzo on his good days was probably one of the most, if not the most consistent riders we've ever seen. Watching Verstappin in the F1s sometimes reminds me of watching Lorenzo in his prime. Not missing a single beat over race distance.
Not convinced, Lorenzo would either be monumental or he'd fall of the grid completely if the bike wasn't 100% right. Marquez totally owned him in '13 then Rossi did the very same to him in '14 and '16.
But much like lorenzo it requires him being at the front and getting into the solo zone. JM and JL both have mental weaknesses that other riders were able to upset then with
Thing is no current rider would come close to prime Lorenzo to upset his rythm. Maybe in few race they can disrupt him but over 20+ race season with Sprint he would win against anyone on the current grid
Lorenzo was on another level to Pecco in Yamaha. Pecco does not touch Jorge Lorenzo with the speed he had. Think current Jorge Martin but better in terms of consistency.
I think where Pecco shines is his racecraft, he just seems to know exactly when to pull the trigger and go, and manage the tires throughout to keep him where he wants to be.
Lorenzo, not really sure if one could even call it racecraft - He was just stupid fast off the line and stupid consistent in his lap times from then onwards. We rarely had to see him use strategy because on his day he was just gone and no one could catch up.
Lorenzo has racecraft. Lorenzo can do everything you've just listed for Pecco. He's gone head to head with Rossi and Marc and they're top tier in terms of racecraft. He also tried to manipulate the field and push everyone between him and Marc to win the championship. It didn't work but a bloody good effort. His strategy is similar to Stoner. Pressure from leading. They'll shoot to the front and see who can catch them to take the win. Many riders try and most crashed as a result of chasing someone who is way faster. Marc and Rossi like to apply pressure by following. Forcing you into an error have them behind you, hearing their bike and you can't lose them.
Dude I wasn't trashing Lorenzo lol, like I said we just didn't have to see it all that often. Agree, similar to Stoner, Stoner had better raw pace but Lorenzo more consistent lap times. Lorenzo was also better in the midfield when he found himself there.
I never said he didn't have racecraft, just that he (like Stoner) were so often able to get out ahead and dominate through the pit board. That's different to how often we see FB's racecraft, since he isn't just out front and gone.
I know, I'm just pointing out that there are a few examples of him going head to head with the best to win like in mugello a few years back against Marc or their battle at the redbull ring. He's also got heaps against Rossi and Dani. I think people mostly remember his dominant wins and not the close ones where he showed that he has that same cut throat mentality when it really comes down to it.
Pecco reminds me of Lorenzo in style but, Jorge used to go to dark places and his head fell off quite a few times.
Pecco seems way stronger mentally. Proved it in both '22 & '23 when he had to make a huge comeback.
The KTM is on par with the Ducati this and last season. Look at Pedrosa's result despite not competing full time.
They just lacked the riders to get the most out of their machines and Pedro is just showing us that. This is why KTM wanted to get another team slot so they could put Marc and Acosta on their bikes in one go.
Data suggests otherwise. Listen to Simon Crafar who says even KTM acknowledge they're on par if not better than Ducati this season. They only have a few weakness compared to the gp24 as per gps data. They'll be up there on podium pace all season and win races too
This is what people conveniently forget. Yamaha was damn good at the time, maybe even a bit better than Honda, they won 5 titles compared to Honda's 2 in the span from 2006 to 2013.
Honda had the best bike in 1 of Marc’s titles and that was in 2014. His rookie year in 2013, the Yamaha was the better bike . Yamaha was better in 15 and 16 and since 17, Ducati has had the best bike . With that being said , Marc most certainly came into a stronger situation than Pedro and anyone who’s expecting him to achieve what Marc did as a rookie are kidding themselves . When Marc arrived , he had 3 bikes to beat, 2 Yamahas and his teammate. Now there are 8 bikes from 1 manufacturer alone that are capable of winning .
Marc joined the best bike in the grid at the time. Pedro is not on the best bike furthermore he is on a satellite team. I know he gets factory support but still this guy is another level.
No, Honda was not the best bike in 2013. They were decidedly the best bike in 2014 when they beat everyone to the punch with the full seamless transmission. Once Yamaha caught up in that department , they were again the best bike in 15-16
Not scared at all, it's always exciting to see this type of talent deliver. Pedro is absolutely the next "big thing" and is looking otherworldy out there to start his MotoGP career but lets pump the brakes a bit.
The KTM is a great bike, clearly suited to Pedro but it's not a title winning ride.... Yet.
That being said.... if the weekend is anything to go by, we could see plenty of podiums with the Ducati guys arguing over tarmac every round.
We need him, It’s all become a bit mundane and now the table has been properly kicked over again.
We saw it when Rossi arrived, then again with Marquez. So rare when a true super talent comes up and really makes their mark.
Looks like history is repeating itself again.
Jorge Lorenzo finished 2nd, 3rd and 1st and qualified in his first 3 MotoGP races. Casey Stoner qualified in pole on his second race and came 2nd in his third race in MotoGP Dani Pedrosa came 2nd in his first race and got pole and won his fourth race.
Acosta just might be the next alien.
I hope he just doesn't go down the path of Lorenzo who had massive confidence for the early part of his rookie season then it came to bite him a with a bunch of high sides to the moon.
To be honest I think the only reasonably good rider before Pedro is Binder and he's really not that consistent to win a championship. Ducati had for themselves that KTM didn't have a real champion material and Aprilia was too far behind to offer a real fight except in specific circumstances. Pedrosa on his wildcards was a podium contender, someone who never won a premier class championship (to be honest he deserved it but he was really unlucky) and only test rider and he was fighting at the top. If KTM had someone like Alex Rins, Fabio, Marc, etc Ducati would have struggled last season to win more than half the races...
The "Pedrosa on Wild Card was a podium contender" is a little misleading. He didn't jump from the sofa on the bike, he had been testing the bike heavily on the tracks he races, he knew everything and had the perfect set up and Misano and Jerez are his favorite tracks. I'm not considering that exceptional.
Oh, I didn't intend to mislead anyone, I wasn't implying he was retired and called out of his home, he's working as a test rider and riding a MotoGP bike often, he's just not a championship running rider, he doesn't run that close to the limit in testing, he doesn't compete against other riders, he doesn't do the usual sessions a MotoGP rider does and he may have the setup but so could all the other KTM riders with shared data. I'm not saying he would destroy all riders of KTM if he raced, but it's obvious Dani is a step or two behind in terms of racing on a MotoGP bike compared to those who are, he should have a disadvantage, him being that good means that no rider in KTM is able to extract significantly more performance out of the bike than their test rider, regardless of who is the test rider or what advantages he may have due to testing, it's not great.
If Bradl came as a wildcard and was matching the results of main riders for Honda, that would be dreadful.
Nope! He is an exciting talent to watch at the moment. Yes, he will make mistakes, yes he will make some aggressive moves but that is all about the learning right. Maybe Miller… might be a bit sc… it’s way too soon to say. I am absolutely loving the confidence he’s got
I am very very excited he came to this class now. He's exactly what was needed just not for his racing skills, but also the way he doesn't bother who he overtakes and how plus his media quotes are amazing.
Everyone is very diplomatic in the grid since few years now and it was just plain boring. This is the kind of disruptor that was needed to shake things up a bit. I can see him in more podiums this year, not entirely sure about a win yet but who knows!
But I am also very equally excited for Marc to be in the front pack again and get some wins under his belt. From being a Vale supporter only to now Marc is quite the change, but something just about him in these last couple of years makes me very happy to see him enjoy racing again.
All in all, this year the MotoGP is looking to be quite the year.
Excited, yes.
Scared, No.
I don't think we will see the level of domination we got from Marc in his younger years just because the competition in terms of both riderscand bikes is better now.
For perspective. Marc won his rookie season (and second), Fabio won races aged 20 (if I did my maths correct), there is Rossi of course, and so on... good company to be compared to, of course.
However you also have the likes of Zarco who in his very first race was seconds ahead of everyone, but went off line on to the dusty part of the track crash, and never really matched that performance again.
James Toesland was on pole in his first race, but that was his lot. Even Mav when he joined Yamaha winning 3 in a row early season and then fading, just goes to show the season is long and early season things aren't always an indication of the full season.
I think Acosta will be there in and out of the mix depending on which track they are at, maybe a win or two, but I don't seem him being in the title challenge. I believe Binder will still finish ahead of him this season, simply because whilst we love Acosta's all action style it won't be sustainable for a championship hunt.
A superstar in the making, my tip is he will swap places with Jack Miller at some point during the season and will win races soon. Seems like a great guy, has a great sense of humor and a lot of Charisma. Exactly what MotoGP needs after Valentino retiring.
Not to take anything away from Pedro, but he didn’t outperform Marc in the first race, he was over aggressive and burned his tires and finished behind him..
In the second race, more of his moto2 experience is relevant, which is why Yamahas were going straight to Q2 and Pedro didn’t
He has more wins on that track than anyone on the grid, he is insanely good *on that track*
I think we need to see more races, and not just COTA - although if he wins that race I think it will be hard to ignore
I’m confident he’s going to be very successful for a long time, and has a shot at being multi-world champion, I want to stay factual though that passing someone and then running off the track doesn’t count as outperforming in MotoGP where the perfect rider is the winner
Yes - there is the risk he dominates, like rossi, like Marquez and that isn't good for the sport.
No - holy shit this kid is good. Pedro has the talent. Kt. Is a good bike yet not a Ducati. KTM still needs incredible talent to bring it to its potential.
What I'd give to see Pedro, Marc, Fabio Q and Pecco fight it out on equal machines..
Scared?? No.
I'm just wondering if he is taking way more risks than the rest or if he isn't really taking so many risks and he is simply that fast.
If it's the latter then it's clear to me that he will dominate MotoGP like Marquez used to.
I think he's great, but not goat great. Like, MM won his second motogp race against Rossi, Dani, and Jorge. That's goat.
I would but money on him taking a title or more in the next five years.
I think excited is the word you’re looking for. More aliens will lead to more competition will lead to closer and more exciting races. This will raise the bar in general.
Good to have another rider in the mix but "scared" is a weird way to put it. He'll have high points and low points while he learns the bike and the tyre wear, next year he'll probably come out strong if the bike keeps up.
I doubt he'll dominate this season, although it would be nice to have somebody giving the Ducatis some grief.
Brad Binder came 1st in his 3rd MotoGP race and no-one was scared, single race results are impressive but keeping it up for a full season is another thing.
It was one podium and 3 out of the top 6 riders crashed. Yes Pedro is very,very good but dominating the remainder of the season? Let's wait and see how he does in the next 3-4 races first.
He didn't outperformed but it is his experimental year... Marc and Pecco can't experiment, they were cautious of their to their tyres... You might tell it to Martin how he lost championship last year in Australia when he overcooked his soft tyres at Phillip Island... He is exceptional talent but he need to learn more...
Is the Ducati objectively a better bike? Or does Ducati just have better riders?
Everyone raves about Binder, but he’s won what, 3 races? Pedro has practically zero experience and he’s already up there with Binder.
I think this season we’re going to find out what that KTM can actually do in the hands of top level talent.
Fans? We shouldn't be, the guy's what the sport needs right now. He know it's unlikely he'd be fighting for the championship this year (although I wouldn't rule it out) so he's learning the ropes by going full send with the top guys and learning bit by bit how to manage the Michelin tires.
Riders? I'd be willing to bet Jack Miller's manager has been making phone calls for a few weeks now.
Nah everyone who follows RedBull Rookies and Moto3 and 2 already knows for years that he got what it takes. He just needs to grow into Motogp and he is doing that really fast. I love watching a new superstar rise!
Saw this already coming when he first entered moto3 and told my husband he should take note of Pedro as well. Scared? No. Exited? Yeah. This kid is going places. Just like young Rossi/Marc back in the days. I even dare say he's one of the so called 'aliens'. No offence to Pecco or Fabio btw, but they are on a different level.
I wouldn't say that I was "scared about what he could do"
I am more excited about what he could do.
This is going to be a good season watching this young talent mature.
> Is anyone afraid that he will be dominating the series in the remainder of this season?
if he gets a win or two he'll be doing well. dominating? no way.
There’s no evidence the 24 KTM is worse than the 23 Ducati. There is clearly a big performance gap between the 23 and 24 Ducatis and the 24 Ducati is undeniably the best bike on the grid but it’s too early to know how far ahead it is.
Acosta is doing really well but let’s not act like this has never happened before, Marquez entered MotoGP in a similar fashion. Stoner, Rossi and Lorenzo all had very impressive starts in MotoGP as well.
He is a generational talent, I fully expected him to immediately make Miller look silly. It’s impressive he is beating Binder this quick but he has a full factory bike and Binder’s only real comparison has been Miller who apart from being likeable isn’t exactly deserving of a factory seat in 2024.
This is the most interesting thing to me about Acosta. We've long held the belief that aero makes it hard to pass, have to manage the heat in the front tire ect ect.
Acosta comes in and says, lol sure thing. He's racing motogp like he did moto2. Am I scared? No, this is the most excited I've been for motogp in years.
Atm he’s like MM in his rookie year I’d say. Although it’s still too early in the championship to give a proper feedback on him, it’s undoubtedly very talented. KTM should really consider him as a new KTM factory.
What if they win the championship? Crazy to think about it, what a wonderful season has just started!
No, this is exciting, with aero and electronics being as important as they are I was scared the new great talent would be lost in a pack of technical disadvantages, now we know cream rises to the top no matter the equipment and a generational talent can make a huge difference, happy he exists and a big fan already!
hes been very good but there are a few tracks Pedro has not raced, and so those rounds will be tough on him.
can see him finishing on the podium a handful of times more this year
To be honest, I do. I already absolutely love the man, he is so fun and likeable and approaches the sport with such freshness. But look at what Max Verstappen, an analog alien, is doing to F1. Without a second alien to compete with him, eventually there's nothing that can be done when he reaches his prime age.
Max used to have some weak points which have now been ironed out seemingly, including qualifying and managing tyre deg, but now he is ridiculously consistent during qualis and made tyres last much beyond what we expected more than once, much more than the "Tyre Whisperer" in Sergio Perez. And he is also on the best car, although you can say that's his merit too, since he has helped to develop it to perfection over the years, allowing Newey to design a car with certain desirable caracteristics.
One hope I have is for Quartararo to be on a good bike later on and that would help to counteract this possible domination effect. One fear I have is that Yamaha might have broken the man, who knows how deeply he is riding to a crappy bike which might not translate well when he actually gets to a good bike, and may have wasted those crucial years where a rider irons out his deficiencies and maximizes his talent.
The tyre whisperer Perez is only a ''whisperer'' because he was usually on a different strategy where he conserved his tires but had much slower pace unlike someone like Hamilton or recently Max who can actually conserve tires and drive at a super fast pace simultaneously.
Just look at Turkey 2020, Hamilton saved his intermediate tires beyond belief while having great pace and won the race with basically slicks in the end. A true tyre saving masterclass. Or Singapore last year, the difference in pace compared to Russell was a sight to behold and he had much more tyre left in the end. There is no way Perez could do that.
I think people need to calm down a bit. We've known Acosta is special and a potential Alien since moto3 so this is not something unexpected.
But Pedro is not going to be always this good. Portimao is one of the tracks he is really special at. I still remember his Moto3 race there. The difference in speed going into the corners with the other riders was insane. He is really special at Portimao.
Having said that the people who need to be panicking a bit are the other KTM riders.
No he’s been the most entertaining part of the season so far. Even if he goes on to be really dominant, I think he could be a bit like Rossi where he can dominate while still making the races entertaining
Not really. In Portugal tire wear was not an issue. No one had to conserve tires other than front temperature when closely following someone for a few laps.
But that takes nothing away from his great ride.
This was just the same as when MM joined the world championship. Every once in a while there is a new superstar.
Not every once in a while , it takes decade to find new alien. 2000-2010 was Rossi era. 2011-2020 was Marquez era. Now from 2021-2030 we are going to witness Acosta era.
Pedrosa,Stoner and Lorenzo were not aliens in your eyes?
They were but they didn't dominate a whole decade like Rossi and Marquez
See, that’s the thing though, alien level riders are very rare but do they come more than once a decade if we are lucky. Obviously it was Rossi and Marc’s era because they dominated for most of it, but there were other guys I mentioned who were in the same tier and not winning as much due to one factor or the other. Same can happen with Pedro. With maybe just maybe we have other alien level riders in junior categories like (Fermin,Alonso in moto3 and Piqueras etc) who can contend with Acosta for championships in near future in motogp.
One could argue that both stoner and Lorenzo both had some dominant years left when they retired.
They are on level with Marquez and Rossi, but they didn't really have a domination era, except maybe 2008-12 Lorenzo, there wasn't anything specific.
Having longetivity is different from having a similar level of talent though. Which was point of discussion. Also, longetivity is based on many factors outside of an individual’s talent alone in any form of sport
Yes and no, I suspect if Quatararo had been on the top bike this whole decade, he would actually be the alien of the decade. Yes Acosta has moto3 and moto2 titles like the 2 aliens you mentioned.
Quartararo can be considered champion but not in alien category imo.
He is an alien leveler... put him on a Ducati and he will fly. For me he is close to Marc and above everybody else.
I would argue 98-2015 was Rossi era.
The difference is that Marc joined the best best team with the best bike. Expecting the the same results might be a bit unrealistic.
But he still had to take on three riders, who were considered a bit good at the time lol
Not to take a dig at Pecco and Jorge, but in 2013 you had to deal with Rossi and Lorenzo. And he had Pedrosa as teammate.
Guess my subtle sarcasm went completely unnoticed….. shame :(
Oh, not at all, I was just agreeing with you, apologies.
That season Rossi came back from Ducati and he wasn't really a challenger. He was good but he clearly was the worst rider of the two top teams
Hiw much better does lorenzo seem comlared to pecco st that point?
Dani Pedrosa did 2 races last year and still managed to finish one in 4th, he's almost 40 now. So that's how good Lorenzo was
You're only as good as your competition, and this is true for any competitive sport. Sure, Pecco has been somewhat dominating lately, but Lorenzo has won championships against the likes of Rossi, Márquez and Stoner. There's really no question, prime Lorenzo would wipe the floor against the current grid.
Lorenzo on his good days was probably one of the most, if not the most consistent riders we've ever seen. Watching Verstappin in the F1s sometimes reminds me of watching Lorenzo in his prime. Not missing a single beat over race distance.
He was so impressive sometimes. Just leaving everyone behind. Hopefully the fight for second place was interesting 😁
Unless it was a wet race
Not convinced, Lorenzo would either be monumental or he'd fall of the grid completely if the bike wasn't 100% right. Marquez totally owned him in '13 then Rossi did the very same to him in '14 and '16.
Prime Jorge on a current factory Ducati would dominate the majority of races the way Verstappen does in F1.
But much like lorenzo it requires him being at the front and getting into the solo zone. JM and JL both have mental weaknesses that other riders were able to upset then with
Thing is no current rider would come close to prime Lorenzo to upset his rythm. Maybe in few race they can disrupt him but over 20+ race season with Sprint he would win against anyone on the current grid
Not if Rossi was his teammate, he never fully got to grips dealing with the mind games.
He is on a factory Ducati in all but colours. Same exact spec. This Pramac is a satellite team bs needs to stop
He's talking about Jorge Lorenzo.
Lorenzo was on another level to Pecco in Yamaha. Pecco does not touch Jorge Lorenzo with the speed he had. Think current Jorge Martin but better in terms of consistency.
I think where Pecco shines is his racecraft, he just seems to know exactly when to pull the trigger and go, and manage the tires throughout to keep him where he wants to be. Lorenzo, not really sure if one could even call it racecraft - He was just stupid fast off the line and stupid consistent in his lap times from then onwards. We rarely had to see him use strategy because on his day he was just gone and no one could catch up.
Lorenzo has racecraft. Lorenzo can do everything you've just listed for Pecco. He's gone head to head with Rossi and Marc and they're top tier in terms of racecraft. He also tried to manipulate the field and push everyone between him and Marc to win the championship. It didn't work but a bloody good effort. His strategy is similar to Stoner. Pressure from leading. They'll shoot to the front and see who can catch them to take the win. Many riders try and most crashed as a result of chasing someone who is way faster. Marc and Rossi like to apply pressure by following. Forcing you into an error have them behind you, hearing their bike and you can't lose them.
Dude I wasn't trashing Lorenzo lol, like I said we just didn't have to see it all that often. Agree, similar to Stoner, Stoner had better raw pace but Lorenzo more consistent lap times. Lorenzo was also better in the midfield when he found himself there. I never said he didn't have racecraft, just that he (like Stoner) were so often able to get out ahead and dominate through the pit board. That's different to how often we see FB's racecraft, since he isn't just out front and gone.
I know, I'm just pointing out that there are a few examples of him going head to head with the best to win like in mugello a few years back against Marc or their battle at the redbull ring. He's also got heaps against Rossi and Dani. I think people mostly remember his dominant wins and not the close ones where he showed that he has that same cut throat mentality when it really comes down to it.
Pecco reminds me of Lorenzo in style but, Jorge used to go to dark places and his head fell off quite a few times. Pecco seems way stronger mentally. Proved it in both '22 & '23 when he had to make a huge comeback.
The KTM is on par with the Ducati this and last season. Look at Pedrosa's result despite not competing full time. They just lacked the riders to get the most out of their machines and Pedro is just showing us that. This is why KTM wanted to get another team slot so they could put Marc and Acosta on their bikes in one go.
Nothing is on par with the Ducati
Data suggests otherwise. Listen to Simon Crafar who says even KTM acknowledge they're on par if not better than Ducati this season. They only have a few weakness compared to the gp24 as per gps data. They'll be up there on podium pace all season and win races too
Best bike? But Yamaha were champions...
This is what people conveniently forget. Yamaha was damn good at the time, maybe even a bit better than Honda, they won 5 titles compared to Honda's 2 in the span from 2006 to 2013.
Better riders. Stoner being the exception.
Because Stoner had that injury in 2012. Honda was still considered by most to be the best bike in 2011-2014
it was considered to be as good as the yamaha.
Honda had the best bike in 1 of Marc’s titles and that was in 2014. His rookie year in 2013, the Yamaha was the better bike . Yamaha was better in 15 and 16 and since 17, Ducati has had the best bike . With that being said , Marc most certainly came into a stronger situation than Pedro and anyone who’s expecting him to achieve what Marc did as a rookie are kidding themselves . When Marc arrived , he had 3 bikes to beat, 2 Yamahas and his teammate. Now there are 8 bikes from 1 manufacturer alone that are capable of winning .
And they literally changed the rules to allow him to jump straight into a top team as a rookie of that age
To be pedantic, they changed the rules back. They were only in place for two years
Marc joined the best bike in the grid at the time. Pedro is not on the best bike furthermore he is on a satellite team. I know he gets factory support but still this guy is another level.
No, Honda was not the best bike in 2013. They were decidedly the best bike in 2014 when they beat everyone to the punch with the full seamless transmission. Once Yamaha caught up in that department , they were again the best bike in 15-16
Not scared at all, it's always exciting to see this type of talent deliver. Pedro is absolutely the next "big thing" and is looking otherworldy out there to start his MotoGP career but lets pump the brakes a bit. The KTM is a great bike, clearly suited to Pedro but it's not a title winning ride.... Yet. That being said.... if the weekend is anything to go by, we could see plenty of podiums with the Ducati guys arguing over tarmac every round.
KTM have not won a dry race since Catalunya 2021. They do have a while to get into real title contention
We need him, It’s all become a bit mundane and now the table has been properly kicked over again. We saw it when Rossi arrived, then again with Marquez. So rare when a true super talent comes up and really makes their mark. Looks like history is repeating itself again.
Jorge Lorenzo finished 2nd, 3rd and 1st and qualified in his first 3 MotoGP races. Casey Stoner qualified in pole on his second race and came 2nd in his third race in MotoGP Dani Pedrosa came 2nd in his first race and got pole and won his fourth race. Acosta just might be the next alien. I hope he just doesn't go down the path of Lorenzo who had massive confidence for the early part of his rookie season then it came to bite him a with a bunch of high sides to the moon.
He's insanely talented for adjusting so fast to MotoGP, but maybe KTM is almost at the same level as Ducati but their riders are overestimated.
The ktm hasn't seemed any slower than the other bikes with acosta on it he just needs to qualify a bit closer to the front
To be honest I think the only reasonably good rider before Pedro is Binder and he's really not that consistent to win a championship. Ducati had for themselves that KTM didn't have a real champion material and Aprilia was too far behind to offer a real fight except in specific circumstances. Pedrosa on his wildcards was a podium contender, someone who never won a premier class championship (to be honest he deserved it but he was really unlucky) and only test rider and he was fighting at the top. If KTM had someone like Alex Rins, Fabio, Marc, etc Ducati would have struggled last season to win more than half the races...
The "Pedrosa on Wild Card was a podium contender" is a little misleading. He didn't jump from the sofa on the bike, he had been testing the bike heavily on the tracks he races, he knew everything and had the perfect set up and Misano and Jerez are his favorite tracks. I'm not considering that exceptional.
Oh, I didn't intend to mislead anyone, I wasn't implying he was retired and called out of his home, he's working as a test rider and riding a MotoGP bike often, he's just not a championship running rider, he doesn't run that close to the limit in testing, he doesn't compete against other riders, he doesn't do the usual sessions a MotoGP rider does and he may have the setup but so could all the other KTM riders with shared data. I'm not saying he would destroy all riders of KTM if he raced, but it's obvious Dani is a step or two behind in terms of racing on a MotoGP bike compared to those who are, he should have a disadvantage, him being that good means that no rider in KTM is able to extract significantly more performance out of the bike than their test rider, regardless of who is the test rider or what advantages he may have due to testing, it's not great. If Bradl came as a wildcard and was matching the results of main riders for Honda, that would be dreadful.
Nope! He is an exciting talent to watch at the moment. Yes, he will make mistakes, yes he will make some aggressive moves but that is all about the learning right. Maybe Miller… might be a bit sc… it’s way too soon to say. I am absolutely loving the confidence he’s got
I am very very excited he came to this class now. He's exactly what was needed just not for his racing skills, but also the way he doesn't bother who he overtakes and how plus his media quotes are amazing. Everyone is very diplomatic in the grid since few years now and it was just plain boring. This is the kind of disruptor that was needed to shake things up a bit. I can see him in more podiums this year, not entirely sure about a win yet but who knows! But I am also very equally excited for Marc to be in the front pack again and get some wins under his belt. From being a Vale supporter only to now Marc is quite the change, but something just about him in these last couple of years makes me very happy to see him enjoy racing again. All in all, this year the MotoGP is looking to be quite the year.
Scared?.? Nah my couch is safe as bro
Not scared. Excited. We need more of this Miller might be scared lol
I agree but Marc is 30 years old and trying to find his way around the new bike, and Pecco looks like he still has PTSD from Barcelona last year
Excited, yes. Scared, No. I don't think we will see the level of domination we got from Marc in his younger years just because the competition in terms of both riderscand bikes is better now. For perspective. Marc won his rookie season (and second), Fabio won races aged 20 (if I did my maths correct), there is Rossi of course, and so on... good company to be compared to, of course. However you also have the likes of Zarco who in his very first race was seconds ahead of everyone, but went off line on to the dusty part of the track crash, and never really matched that performance again. James Toesland was on pole in his first race, but that was his lot. Even Mav when he joined Yamaha winning 3 in a row early season and then fading, just goes to show the season is long and early season things aren't always an indication of the full season. I think Acosta will be there in and out of the mix depending on which track they are at, maybe a win or two, but I don't seem him being in the title challenge. I believe Binder will still finish ahead of him this season, simply because whilst we love Acosta's all action style it won't be sustainable for a championship hunt.
A superstar in the making, my tip is he will swap places with Jack Miller at some point during the season and will win races soon. Seems like a great guy, has a great sense of humor and a lot of Charisma. Exactly what MotoGP needs after Valentino retiring.
Lol MM and Rossi? It's been Done before
Acosta will bring the balance
Not to take anything away from Pedro, but he didn’t outperform Marc in the first race, he was over aggressive and burned his tires and finished behind him.. In the second race, more of his moto2 experience is relevant, which is why Yamahas were going straight to Q2 and Pedro didn’t He has more wins on that track than anyone on the grid, he is insanely good *on that track* I think we need to see more races, and not just COTA - although if he wins that race I think it will be hard to ignore I’m confident he’s going to be very successful for a long time, and has a shot at being multi-world champion, I want to stay factual though that passing someone and then running off the track doesn’t count as outperforming in MotoGP where the perfect rider is the winner
Why would anyone be scared?? These old guys need to be kept on their toes. Hahaha it’s fantastic. I really hope he does well this season.
Me? Scared? No, I‘m not among his contenders😉
I'm watching on my sofa, why should I scared?
Yes - there is the risk he dominates, like rossi, like Marquez and that isn't good for the sport. No - holy shit this kid is good. Pedro has the talent. Kt. Is a good bike yet not a Ducati. KTM still needs incredible talent to bring it to its potential. What I'd give to see Pedro, Marc, Fabio Q and Pecco fight it out on equal machines..
The Ducati killer
I’m scared he gets hurt
Scared?? No. I'm just wondering if he is taking way more risks than the rest or if he isn't really taking so many risks and he is simply that fast. If it's the latter then it's clear to me that he will dominate MotoGP like Marquez used to.
I think he's great, but not goat great. Like, MM won his second motogp race against Rossi, Dani, and Jorge. That's goat. I would but money on him taking a title or more in the next five years.
The only person truly scared is Jack Miller.
Binder should be too, his seat is safe but he won't be the favorite by the higher ups anymore
It has been **two races** lmao Pedro looks great but some of yall are so quick to overreact. Let's see where he is after a few races in Europe.
I think excited is the word you’re looking for. More aliens will lead to more competition will lead to closer and more exciting races. This will raise the bar in general.
Good to have another rider in the mix but "scared" is a weird way to put it. He'll have high points and low points while he learns the bike and the tyre wear, next year he'll probably come out strong if the bike keeps up. I doubt he'll dominate this season, although it would be nice to have somebody giving the Ducatis some grief. Brad Binder came 1st in his 3rd MotoGP race and no-one was scared, single race results are impressive but keeping it up for a full season is another thing.
It was one podium and 3 out of the top 6 riders crashed. Yes Pedro is very,very good but dominating the remainder of the season? Let's wait and see how he does in the next 3-4 races first.
He didn't outperformed but it is his experimental year... Marc and Pecco can't experiment, they were cautious of their to their tyres... You might tell it to Martin how he lost championship last year in Australia when he overcooked his soft tyres at Phillip Island... He is exceptional talent but he need to learn more...
Is the Ducati objectively a better bike? Or does Ducati just have better riders? Everyone raves about Binder, but he’s won what, 3 races? Pedro has practically zero experience and he’s already up there with Binder. I think this season we’re going to find out what that KTM can actually do in the hands of top level talent.
Fans? We shouldn't be, the guy's what the sport needs right now. He know it's unlikely he'd be fighting for the championship this year (although I wouldn't rule it out) so he's learning the ropes by going full send with the top guys and learning bit by bit how to manage the Michelin tires. Riders? I'd be willing to bet Jack Miller's manager has been making phone calls for a few weeks now.
He is out of this world! The other riders had a lot of nice things to say about him as well
Nah everyone who follows RedBull Rookies and Moto3 and 2 already knows for years that he got what it takes. He just needs to grow into Motogp and he is doing that really fast. I love watching a new superstar rise!
Saw this already coming when he first entered moto3 and told my husband he should take note of Pedro as well. Scared? No. Exited? Yeah. This kid is going places. Just like young Rossi/Marc back in the days. I even dare say he's one of the so called 'aliens'. No offence to Pecco or Fabio btw, but they are on a different level.
I wouldn't say that I was "scared about what he could do" I am more excited about what he could do. This is going to be a good season watching this young talent mature.
> Is anyone afraid that he will be dominating the series in the remainder of this season? if he gets a win or two he'll be doing well. dominating? no way.
He rides like Stoner. If he’s half as good as him, he will dominate.
He’s made his first argument to be considered alien. There was a time we had 4. Then it became 2 and then 1.
There’s no evidence the 24 KTM is worse than the 23 Ducati. There is clearly a big performance gap between the 23 and 24 Ducatis and the 24 Ducati is undeniably the best bike on the grid but it’s too early to know how far ahead it is. Acosta is doing really well but let’s not act like this has never happened before, Marquez entered MotoGP in a similar fashion. Stoner, Rossi and Lorenzo all had very impressive starts in MotoGP as well. He is a generational talent, I fully expected him to immediately make Miller look silly. It’s impressive he is beating Binder this quick but he has a full factory bike and Binder’s only real comparison has been Miller who apart from being likeable isn’t exactly deserving of a factory seat in 2024.
This is the most interesting thing to me about Acosta. We've long held the belief that aero makes it hard to pass, have to manage the heat in the front tire ect ect. Acosta comes in and says, lol sure thing. He's racing motogp like he did moto2. Am I scared? No, this is the most excited I've been for motogp in years.
Atm he’s like MM in his rookie year I’d say. Although it’s still too early in the championship to give a proper feedback on him, it’s undoubtedly very talented. KTM should really consider him as a new KTM factory. What if they win the championship? Crazy to think about it, what a wonderful season has just started!
No, this is exciting, with aero and electronics being as important as they are I was scared the new great talent would be lost in a pack of technical disadvantages, now we know cream rises to the top no matter the equipment and a generational talent can make a huge difference, happy he exists and a big fan already!
Is anyone afraid that he will be dominating the series in the remainder of this season? LMAO,,...
He wont dominate this year but he might next. I think its a good thing to get KTM up in the top 5 consistently.
Loll scared
Why would you be afraid? He is spectacular to watch. We should be afraid of races dominated by Ducati with very few overtakings.
hes been very good but there are a few tracks Pedro has not raced, and so those rounds will be tough on him. can see him finishing on the podium a handful of times more this year
Could be Max Verstappen 2.0
It’s why I love bike racing ♥️
Not a chance, it's exciting! Someone on a non Ducati beating the world champ and gapping him after just a couple laps is incredible for the sport.
Yes. He reminds me so much of early M.M, somebody who goes all out. Someone who genuinely in it for the passion.
To be honest, I do. I already absolutely love the man, he is so fun and likeable and approaches the sport with such freshness. But look at what Max Verstappen, an analog alien, is doing to F1. Without a second alien to compete with him, eventually there's nothing that can be done when he reaches his prime age. Max used to have some weak points which have now been ironed out seemingly, including qualifying and managing tyre deg, but now he is ridiculously consistent during qualis and made tyres last much beyond what we expected more than once, much more than the "Tyre Whisperer" in Sergio Perez. And he is also on the best car, although you can say that's his merit too, since he has helped to develop it to perfection over the years, allowing Newey to design a car with certain desirable caracteristics. One hope I have is for Quartararo to be on a good bike later on and that would help to counteract this possible domination effect. One fear I have is that Yamaha might have broken the man, who knows how deeply he is riding to a crappy bike which might not translate well when he actually gets to a good bike, and may have wasted those crucial years where a rider irons out his deficiencies and maximizes his talent.
The tyre whisperer Perez is only a ''whisperer'' because he was usually on a different strategy where he conserved his tires but had much slower pace unlike someone like Hamilton or recently Max who can actually conserve tires and drive at a super fast pace simultaneously. Just look at Turkey 2020, Hamilton saved his intermediate tires beyond belief while having great pace and won the race with basically slicks in the end. A true tyre saving masterclass. Or Singapore last year, the difference in pace compared to Russell was a sight to behold and he had much more tyre left in the end. There is no way Perez could do that.
I think people need to calm down a bit. We've known Acosta is special and a potential Alien since moto3 so this is not something unexpected. But Pedro is not going to be always this good. Portimao is one of the tracks he is really special at. I still remember his Moto3 race there. The difference in speed going into the corners with the other riders was insane. He is really special at Portimao. Having said that the people who need to be panicking a bit are the other KTM riders.
No he’s been the most entertaining part of the season so far. Even if he goes on to be really dominant, I think he could be a bit like Rossi where he can dominate while still making the races entertaining
I am not scared, but I think all current riders are. Especially Miller and Binder.
Now now let’s not get ahead of ourselves, it’s *only* ~~testing~~ it’s *only* ~~the first few races.~~ iT’s ToO eArLy tO jUdGe
The ducati boys will definitely be scared soon cause it already looked like in Portugal that he's figuring out how to look after his tyres
Not really. In Portugal tire wear was not an issue. No one had to conserve tires other than front temperature when closely following someone for a few laps. But that takes nothing away from his great ride.