Tony Arbolino and Pedro Acosta - “Messi and Ronaldo” of Moto2 - vow to continue rivalry in MotoGP 2024

Elf Marc VDS Racing Team’s Arbolino leads Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Acosta by eight points in the Moto2 standings heading to Silverstone thi🍸s weekend.
But they could both be promoted to MotoGP in 2024 - Arbolino with G𒉰resinꦓi Racing, and Acosta somewhere within KTM’s plans.
Arbolino, 2꧃2, told about their rivalry: “I like it so much. Acosta is one of the drivers, along with me, who has🅰 the most talent at the moment!
“If there is someone I want to win, it is him🔥. This gets me going and activates me.
“In the last two races, he has been faster, but it was something we knew, because in꧃ his first year in Moto2 he was already very fast on those circuits, with podiums 𝄹and victory included.
“While I was not, because I was slower than him.
🐻“However, this year I have achieved podiums where ♉I would not have thought so at the beginning of the season.
“Mentally I feel like a better rider, but I think you have to think like that and believe it before tꦦhe weekend.
“In some types of corners he is better th🏅an me. In the [fast corners]. I am studying a lot to have more speed there. We work with the team to improve that point.”

Arbolino wants to continue battling Acosta next year in MotoGP: “I hope so. I would l⛄ike to very much.
“Acosta is a rider that I consider very strong and that I want to beat, to prove🃏 things to myself.”
Do their battles make each other better?
“I think so,” Arbolino said. “We are Messi and Rona𝓀ldo!
“I want to be the Messi who won the World🌄 Cup, but I would like to be the mix of both.”
Arbolino wa🎐s asked about replacing Fabio 🐻di Giannantonio within the Ducati clan next season, and answered: “I hope, I hope so. I have a lot of ambition, but I am very calm mentally.
“I know that I deserve it and that I dಌon't have to prove anything ✅to anyone, because with the work I'm doing it will come.
“I am focused on this year, which I feel is going to꧙💯 be mine, and nothing else.
൲“There is no limit. This is ﷺwhat my manager (Carlo Pernat) always tells me.
“In each call he makes to me, before finishing, he tells meཧ: ‘Tony, remember that you have no limits’.

James was a sports j♋ournalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everಌything from American sports, to football, to F1.