Moto2: Pedro Acosta has Buriram title chance despite Australian mishap
Future MotoGP rider Pedro Acosta can be crowned the 2023 Moto2 world champion in Thailand this weekend, despite falling on the sighting lap in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.
Starting from the back of the grid as a result of the mishap, Acosta recovered to ninth place by the time the race was red flagged due to the treacherous wet and windy conditions.
“Today we had one of the most challenging races and toughest conditions that I can remember in our history in the Moto2 class,” said Acosta’s team manager Aki Ajo. “When the conditions are rainy and windy it is really hard to make the tyres work.
“Today Race Control's directions were the right ones and the race was red-flagged. Unfortunately, Pedro had a crash on the sighting lap, but the whole team including the Moto3 crews and KTM worked so hard and finally he was able to start the race. I want to give a big thank you for this team effort, as this is personally something that I really respect.”
Acosta's title rival Tony Arbolino took victory at Phillip Island but with less than 2/3 distance complete, and a restart abandoned, the Marc VDS rider only received half the normal 25 points.
"With these conditions, we should have double points, not half!" joked Arbolino.
All of which means Acosta’s championship lead still stands at 56 points over the Italian heading into Buriram.
If the Red Bull KTM Ajo star has an advantage of 75 points or more on Sunday, he will be crowned world champion for the second time in three seasons, after winning the 2021 Moto3 title as a rookie.
“There wasn't much water on the track, but the wind made it difficult for us to ride," said Acosta. “[But at least] the situation allowed us to see that we are competitive in the wet.
"Now it's time to think about Thailand and the next race.”
Acosta will join the GASGAS Tech3 team in MotoGP next season, riding a KTM RC16 alongside last year’s Moto2 title winner Augusto Fernandez.
