MotoGP Austria, Martin also crowns Acosta
Friday at the Red Bull Ring pointed to a surprise name as a reference. Pedro Acosta actually dominated FP1 and the Red Bull Ring Tests on a KTM that felt at home and perked up, putting behind all the riders fighting for the World Championship, including Jorge Martin.
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The Aprilia rider perhaps expected a lively Acosta (also because KTM has always been strong at the Red Bull Ring) but maybe not to the point of being ahead of everyone with extreme ease. And now, like Marc Marquez, he points to him as a surprise favorite.
Martin’s words
“Yes, there is Acosta and then there is us behind, all very close. I feel strong, but not like Pedro obviously,” Martin commented to Sky Sport MotoGP. “We have to understand how he does it and how we can get closer. But this is not our fight, I have to keep growing and try to be a bit faster tomorrow.”
The search for more speed will happen with a right arm that caused Martin fewer problems than expected: “I felt much better than I thought. It shows that the work done at home was good, anyway until Sunday it will be a question mark. For now I feel good, I don’t want to think about it too much. I’m riding normally and I haven’t suffered, this is good news.”
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“The team is charged. Today we did a good job, I think. We were very smart to work on the pace. Friday is always a struggle, because I always have to get used to the Aprilia and understand how to bring out the potential. However, I think we know where to improve tomorrow,” he added.
The 2024 world champion has always been on Marc Marquez’s times during the day, with whom he shares the World Championship lead: in FP1 he was ahead by 27 thousandths, in the Tests he chased him by 18 thousandths.
