Bluefish, sardines, mackerel, herring: Pedro Acosta is a fisherman in the port of Mazarron, south of Murcia.
His father and grandfather were already fishing – and they were all called Pedro. It therefore made sense to baptize his son, who was the third child following Maria and Miriam, Pedro.
But little Pedro should break with one tradition, namely becoming a fisherman in the port of Mazarron. Because his father made a “mistake”:
When his son was five years old, dad bought his son a small motocross machine – a Chinese make for 150 euros. “Without his mother knowing regarding it,” revealed the senior.
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In Martin’s coup, Acosta was also a winner
A gift that, like the proverbial flap of a butterfly’s wings, triggered a tornado. The whirlwind was his son and now – 14 years later – following world championship titles in Moto3 and Moto2, he laughed off the podium for the first time in his second race of the elite MotoGP as third in Portimao.
At 19 years and 304 days, Pedro is the third youngest rider to finish in the top three in MotoGP. At least now little Pedro is anything but little.
“He will be one of the big names in the future and present,” says former series world champion Marc Marquez, the Spanish compatriot with whom Acosta is constantly compared.
The company pledged
Not many working class people make the jump to becoming a professional racing driver. The financial input that is already necessary in the junior classes is enormous. His father and grandfather mortgaged their business to enable him to start racing. “They closed their eyes and put everything on one card,” says the shooting star, who made up for the lack of economic privileges with his driving skills.
“I don’t think it’s talent because I know drivers who don’t train at all and are still fast,” he says, saying he knows exactly what his advantages are. Especially when it comes to braking late or maximizing tire performance, Acosta is easily ahead of the competition. KTM and Red Bull recognized the talent’s potential and helped him overcome one or two financial hurdles.
His driving instincts were honed early on. “My father and mother helped me a lot when I started driving. They helped me to be more relaxed and faster.” The contact with his family has remained correspondingly close, which is even visible on his helmet. “My father made the logo when I started.”
The design is based on a shark and can be found on his father’s boat. This is how Little Pedro got his nickname early on: the “Shark of Mazarron”. His dad also created the lettering on his overalls. “Some people say it’s ugly… but my dad made it for me when I was six. So what do they want me to do? Change it now? No, it’s going to stay there, whether it’s pretty or not “It’s not nice.”
Pedro Acosta will wear the colors and logo with pride this weekend in Austin, Texas – and will be on the hunt to perhaps become the youngest MotoGP winner in history.
Author
Reinhold Pühringer
Sports editor
Reinhold Pühringer
