21 points separate Dennis Foggia from Pedro Acosta and the fight for the Moto3 title is still wide open with just two races left to go. Who would have thought it, had we heard this in May? Very few people would have been betting on the Italian back then, but now he’s the main act in the cadet class. Six consecutive podiums, five wins (the same number as his rival) and a determination that says a lot. But where is Pedro?

From attack to defense

Having turned 17 in May, the youngster was on fire early on, impressive right from the outset. Second in the first race and then the winner of three consecutive races, in his very first year of course because, yes, he’s a rookie. Then came something of a drop in performance and, with the exception of his wins in Germany and Austria, the rider no longer appears able to stand out from the crowd. In recent races, he’s clearly been on the defensive and from the outside, it’s hard to ascertain why, but the pressure could be a significant factor.

Let’s take Misano as an example… It’s true that he improved on the seventh-place finish of one month ago, but from what we saw of the 16-year old earlier on in the season, everyone was expecting a win, even a convincing win. Or the kind of last corner move we’ve already seen from him. And yet he crossed the line third, losing nine precious championship points in the process.

Portimao a happy hunting ground

The Spaniard was the star during the first part of the season, while the Italian has been centre stage during the second half, and the gap has shrunk further. Foggia has made up 76 points to Acosta in the last six races and, with 50 still to play for, anything can happen. Acosta will need to gain another five at Portiamo if he wants to go down in history, but five points is not an easy ask against an unbridled Foggia. At the first Portimao round in April, it was this pair that battled for the win, but Acosta no longer seem to be as sure as he was during the opening rounds.

Translated by Heather Watson

All change: farewell child prodigies: 18 the minimum world championship age