Pedro Acosta could have similar impact on Marc Marquez as Jorge Lorenzo had on Valentino Rossi

Why Pedro Acosta could bring back the best of Marc Marquez, just as Jorge Lorenzo did for Valentino Rossi

It is widely expected that Acosta has agreed to leave KTM for Ducati on an initial two-season contract from 2027, replacing Francesco Bagnaia at the Italian factory. Acosta believes being Marquez’s teammate would be a “dream”, yet some speculate that the feeling is not mutual.

Lorenzo doubts whether Marquez and Acosta will form a “dream team”, but Suppo sees it differently. He doesn’t believe Marquez has anything to worry about and thinks Acosta could even help reignite Marquez’s competitive edge.

Suppo told GPOne: “It is more like when Yamaha put Lorenzo alongside Valentino. [Rossi did not take it well], but Jorge extended his career – he won two more world championships.

“It would be a motivator for a strong rider like Marc, who is clearly a top-tier rider just as Valentino was.

“Having a young, super-fast rider alongside you rejuvenates you because it brings out that fighting spirit that, perhaps, you’ve lost a bit over the years. I don’t see how Marc could get upset about something like that – quite the opposite.”

Lorenzo made his MotoGP debut with Yamaha in 2008 after they feared Rossi might leave for Formula 1 following tests with Ferrari. The team saw Lorenzo, fresh off back-to-back 250cc titles, as a potential successor if Rossi decided to make the switch.

But Rossi stayed and went on to win his final two titles in 2008 and 2009. Lorenzo followed with his first championship in 2010. However, tensions between the pair grew over time and eventually led to Rossi leaving for Ducati in 2011.

The relationship between Lorenzo and Rossi reached such a point in 2010 that Yamaha had to build a wall separating their sides of the garage. Despite this period of tension, both riders continued their successful careers long after their initial split at Yamaha.