Pedro Acosta led not once but twice in a MotoGP race for the first time at COTA after Marc Márquez crashed just after taking the lead from the rookie on lap 10.
Acosta regained the lead and ran three more laps in the lead before passing Maverick Viñales at Turn 11 on red-hot pace.
Acosta tried to stick with the Aprilia man but failed as he later admitted that no one had a chance of beating Viñales at COTA.
“No one in the world could get him today,” Acosta said. “You just have to watch the pace.” [he had].
“Also, when I saw him yesterday and his pace in the sprints was otherworldly.
“Today I tried and when he passed me I tried to block him. But it was really difficult today so I talked to him and he said that when he passed me I was under braking in Turn 12. I said I was trying to brake hard, it was impossible to pass him. Today was not my day.”
It wasn't a win for Acosta in Texas, but the rookie seems to be getting closer and closer to his first win.
Even more impressive than his natural speed, Acosta admits he hasn't found the bike's limits so far and makes it look effortless.
Acosta said: “We don't know where the limits of the bike are at the moment. As you can see, we haven't had many crashes.
“This means we still have a way to go. I haven't really touched on the bike settings. I've had the same settings since the test in Valencia and just focused on how the bike rides. I am.
“Sometimes there are moments similar to the start of Moto2. Sometimes the tires lock up, but this is a completely different mindset than MotoGP Michelin and Dunlop Moto2.
“We are trying to focus more on ourselves than on the bike and finding our own level and limits.”
After Saturday's sprint, where Acosta lost to Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin along with Vinales, the KTM star hinted that he had learned some secrets.
And Acosta was able to put what he learned into practice by managing his tires more efficiently.
“We were able to manage the tires better,” Acosta began. “Yesterday was complete chaos.
“When Jorge passed me, my speed became slower and slower. Also, Aleix almost passed me. At the Grand Prix, I was trying to manage the long right in sector one and at the end of the track.
“In terms of braking, when someone on the left tried to pass me on the exit, I was giving them space.
“When Jorge passed me, [in the sprint] He blocked me a little bit so maybe I lost the opportunity to go with him on the back straight. ”