Acosta happy about 'Marc's return', says 'championship needs him'

Pedro Acosta, the Spanish rider for KTM, welcomed Marc Márquez's return to the MotoGP circuit at Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix. Acosta stated that the championship needs Márquez, acknowledging that winning without him would be difficult for any title contender.

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We all need him a little, he is the reigning champion and we all need him since, in the end, those who are fighting for the championship, I suppose, never like to win a championship without Marc being there.

"We all need him a little," Acosta told reporters, emphasizing the Spaniard's importance to the sport. He also addressed his earlier comments regarding the Italian Grand Prix, where he questioned the decision to restart the race after a significant accident involving Alex Márquez and Johann Zarco. Acosta maintained his stance that a third start was unnecessary.

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We are the ones who make the show and I didn't see a third start as necessary.

"We are the ones who make the show, and I didn't see a third start as necessary," Acosta said, adding that the matter would likely be discussed at the upcoming Safety Commission meeting. He stressed that riders are the show's creators and that safety should be paramount, warning against tempting fate.

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We are the ones who make the show and without us there is no show, and it must be understood that a third attempt is not necessary, one must not challenge fate many times.

Acosta described the stressful experience of multiple restarts and the emotional toll of being involved in or witnessing accidents. He cited Johann Zarco's own admission of being distracted, leading to a crash. Acosta urged for a pause to consider the human element, reminding everyone that riders are people, not just participants in a race.

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From the outside it looks very good, but from the inside it doesn't look so good, because in the end you have had three red flags, you have had three starts, the stress of the start, the stress of returning to the box, if you have been somewhat involved in the situation, your heart leaps out of your mouth, so you have to know when to stop a bit, because even Zarco said he fell because he was somewhat distracted and you have to stop and think that there are people on the motorcycle, we are not in a car.