Pedro Acosta’s riding style inspires KTM brand colleague Brad Binder: What advantages Acosta’s style has and why it is not so easy to copy it
After winning World Championship titles in Moto3 and Moto2, there were certain expectations when Pedro Acosta entered the MotoGP stage a year ago. The then 19-year-old Spaniard was tipped as the next Marc Marquez. In his MotoGP debut season, Acosta was already fighting for victories and celebrated a number of podium finishes. His modern riding style also inspired his KTM brand colleagues.
KTM factory rider Brad Binder took a close look at what Acosta is doing differently. Despite his wealth of experience, Binder only managed to collect two points more than the rookie in the 2024 World Championship standings. However, it was obvious that Acosta was the faster rider. Binder held off the rookie by a narrow margin, mainly due to his consistency.
“I cover more meters, which he saves,” says Binder, when he compares his riding style to Acosta’s. “I want to work on getting into the corners earlier. So far, I’ve always delayed the turn-in and then turned the bike with one hit.”
“If there is a lack of grip on the front wheel, then you run into problems. I have to be a little gentler in this area,” Binder is aware and takes Acosta as inspiration: ‘I saw how he did it from the start. If I can copy that, then my life will definitely be a little easier.’
“Entering the corner is where we differ,” Binder recognizes, looking at Acosta’s riding style. “He takes tighter lines and therefore covers less distance. He just steers into the corners earlier and that works very well with our bike. But we exit the corners exactly the same way.”
At the MotoGP test in Sepang, Binder worked on his style and tried to copy Acosta’s lines at the corner entry. “I tried to save a few meters here and there. But when I push hard, I revert to my natural riding style,” the South African admits.
“It’s something I have to work on in the future. But I have already noticed some advantages in my riding style. I was able to turn into corners more tightly and earlier, especially when braking at an angle. There are some elements I can play with,” reveals Binder, who is about to start his sixth MotoGP season with KTM.
At the first major test of the year, the MotoGP pre-season test at Sepang, Acosta was the fastest KTM rider. Binder was outside the top 10.
