Pedro Acosta believes his first MotoGP Grand Prix victory is only a matter of time after going toe-to-toe with Marc Marquez in a thrilling battle for victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The KTM rider finished second at Balaton Park after leading the early stages of the race, but he emerged from the weekend with renewed confidence after proving he could challenge one of the sport's greatest riders on equal terms.
Following an opening-lap incident that eliminated several Aprilia contenders, the race quickly developed into a direct contest between Acosta and Marquez. Acosta initially held the upper hand, overtaking the Ducati rider on the second lap and building a small advantage while running on the softer tyre compound.
However, Marquez gradually began to close the gap as his medium rear tyre came into its strongest phase. The championship leader launched his first attack at the Turn 9-10 chicane shortly before half-distance, only for Acosta to immediately fight back and reclaim the position at Turn 12.
The pair continued their fierce duel, even making slight contact as they accelerated out of the final corner. But Marquez eventually found a way through again at the chicane one lap later and this time managed to break clear, securing another victory in his impressive comeback campaign.
Source: Yahoo Sports
Acosta admitted Marquez's pace in certain sections of the circuit proved difficult to match, particularly through the left-hand corners.
"Being honest, he was super fast in Turn 8 and he was passing me as if I was a mobile chicane," said Acosta.
Despite the disappointment of losing out in another direct battle with Marquez, the Spaniard took positives from the experience.
"It is always nice to battle with Marc. I think it's the third battle already that I lost with him. Anyway, if I keep having this battle with Marc, it means that we are making an improved performance."
The result continued Acosta's impressive run of form in 2026. Although he is still searching for his first MotoGP Grand Prix win, he has regularly challenged at the front and established himself as KTM's leading rider.
Acosta believes greater consistency has been the biggest difference compared to his rookie season. While outright speed was never a concern, he feels he is now making fewer mistakes and getting more from the bike across an entire race weekend.
"Last year, I was struggling a lot in qualifying. Now I'm coming back, being much more consistent because last year I was crashing a lot in these moments of the season."
The 22-year-old also credited KTM's progress for helping him ride with greater confidence, although he admitted the team is still trying to understand why performance levels can vary significantly from one circuit to another.
"It's true that the bike improved, but it's quite difficult to understand why we were suffering that much one week ago in Mugello and here we were fast to fight."
While KTM remains without a Grand Prix victory this season, Acosta's performance in Hungary offered further evidence that both rider and manufacturer are moving in the right direction. And although Marquez once again came out on top, the gap between the established champion and MotoGP's rising star appears to be shrinking with every race.
