Pedro Acosta Is The 2023 Moto2 World Champion!
Pedro Acosta is the 2023 Moto2 World Champion! The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider took his second Championship in style with a podium in Malaysia, becoming the youngest intermediate class Champion since Dani Pedrosa in 2004 and the youngest ever in Moto2 – just ahead of Marc Marquez.
Acosta got his first motorbike at five years old but took a little time to really fall in love. Once he did, his ascent started to gain traction and by 2017 he was wrapping up the pre-Moto3™ title in Spain with two races to spare. He then moved into the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship, now JuniorGP™, for 2018 and made a big step in that Championship the following season – alongside debuting in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.
The Rookies was where he began to really create the hype that has since followed him through the ranks. After finishing his first season as runner up with three wins and five podiums, 2020 then saw Acosta win the first six races in the Rookies and take the title with plenty of time to spare.
Acosta has taken 14 podiums this year including seven wins, and wraps up the crown with two races to spare.
Making his debut in the Moto3 World Championship in 2021, then, came with even more hype, and that was proven entirely correct. On his Grand Prix debut he took second place and started his career on the podium, just 0.042s off the win, and second time out, Acosta won. From pitlane.
More than two years later, that victory remains worthy of goosebumps and the season overall does too – with history made nearly every weekend. Acosta became the first rider to take the title in his rookie season in the 125cc/Moto3™ class since Loris Capirossi in 1990.
On his Grand Prix debut he took second place and started his career on the podium, just 0.042s off the win, and second time out, Acosta won. From pitlane.
He moved to Moto2 for 2022, and if anyone had doubts about the hype surrounding the Spaniard, the time to surrender them had come. In a new year and a new class, Acosta was the same sensation as he smashed the lap record in testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Still, it was a tougher start to the races than he’d expected and then came some injury struggles, before he won his first Moto2 race at Mugello and rounded out the season with a second victory in Valencia. He looks back on his intermediate class debut having expected more, but for the rest it said more than enough, and then came 2023.
The favourite from the off, the first part of the season saw Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) mount a challenge against Acosta but by summer break, the number 37 had taken back the lead and started to pull clear. From there, he only continued to hammer home his advantage, culminating in his second crown secured in style. Seven wins, 14 podiums and more history made – Pedro Acosta is the 2023 FIM Moto2 World Champion! Next stop: MotoGP!
#ELT1BURON IN STATS
- Aged 19 years and 171 days old, Acosta becomes the second-youngest intermediate class World Champion behind MotoGP™ Legend Dani Pedrosa (19 years and 18 days old) in 2004.
- However, Acosta is the youngest Moto2™ World Champion ahead of Marc Marquez (19 years and 254 days old) in 2012.
- He becomes the second rider to clinch the Moto2™ World Championship having previously clinched the Moto3™ title (2021), along with Alex Marquez (Moto3™/2014 and Moto2™/2019).
- In addition, Acosta becomes the second former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner to clinch the Moto2™ title along with Johann Zarco, the first ever Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Winner in 2007 and two-time Moto2™ World Champion (2015 and 2016).
- Aged 18 years and 4 days old at the 2022 Italian GP, Acosta is the youngest intermediate class winner ahead of Marc Marquez (18 years and 87 days old at the 2011 French GP).
- With 10 wins in Moto2™ so far, Acosta is tied in fifth place on the list of riders with the most wins in the class with Pol Espargaro and Sam Lowes.
- Acosta has stood on the podium 14 times so far this season (more than any other rider) and 19 times in Moto2™. He is now tied in 11th place on the list of riders with most podiums in the class with Andrea Iannone. If he gets two more in the two remaining races, he will surpass 2024 teammate Augusto Fernandez (20) and equal Franco Morbidelli and Miguel Oliveira, who both have 21.
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