Tech3 MotoGP team boss Herve Poncharal admits he felt “a lot of pressure on myself” to pro﷽vide “special support” to Pedro Acosta for his rookie season🏅 in 2024.

From t꧂he off in his grand prix c🧜areer in 2021, Acosta marked himself out as one of the paddock’s hottest prospects.

Winning the Moto3 title in his rookie year, Acosta won races in hꦜis first Moto2 season before taking the championsh𝔍ip in the class in 2023 ahead of his graduation to MotoGP with Tech3 and KTM.

Acosta reached the podium for the first time in just his sec🐭ond race and has amassed three grand prix rostrums so far while sitting sixth in the standings.

All of this has earned Acosta a move to the factory KTM ꧅squad alongside Brad Binde🍌r in 2025.

While expectations were high for Acosta’s 🅷debut year in MotoGP, Poncharal admits this brought with it a lot of pressure🔯 as he knew the Spaniard “was not going to come to be doing a rookie season like everyone expects”.

“I had a l𒈔ot of pressure on myself, because I knew that young and that special rider was going to ask for special support, special treatment,” Ponch🌜aral told the MotoGP podcast.

“And he was nꦫot going to come to be doing a rookie season like everyone expects what a rookie season is - you’re here to 🦩learn and that’s it.

﷽“Pedro wants to learn, but in 15 m❀inutes. The rest [of the time] he wants to perform.

“So, I didn’t know if I would be at the level, and this is also ൲an exciting thing because you are entering the unknown.

“And I like to be in the unknown; deja vu is not interesting. We had a great day in Valencia following the last rಌace of 2023 and I was quite happy with our team, with the way we welcomed him, the way we gave him support.

“And I c🍷ould see from the feedback that not only did he like the bike, he liked the class, but he was happy also to work with our crew.

“From🍸 that moment we moved to the Sepang test, everything was fantastic. There was never any cloud. The sky was always fully clear.”

Poncharal adds that Acosta has been “close to pe🔯rfection for a rookie”, especially given the quality of the MoꦬtoGP field in 2024.

“I think his season is 8.5🔯, 9. It’s very closꦕe to perfection for a rookie,” he said.

“We were talking about the Aragon weekend with two podiums and he told me ‘I want more🐠’.

“I’m not 💫so 🐻sure he would give himself 8.5, but I would say 8.5, 9/10.

“He’s close to the best you can do as a rookie.

“Especially at the moment the MotoGP class level is so, so high and close and competitive. To do what he is♐ doing with the level we have in the MotoGP class is fantastic.”