Acosta lost 7 points in Texas
For several years now, the waving of the checkered flag in MotoGP does not mean that the finishing order is already set in stone because possible penalties for failure to comply with regulatory parameters related to tire pressure must always be taken into account.
Pedro Acosta, for example, was penalized at the end of the United States GP Sprint, losing the 7 points for third place obtained behind Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia. Marc Marquez in 2025 on two occasions had to fall in line behind a rival to raise the tire pressure avoiding disqualification, it happened in Thailand at the opening GP when he waited for his brother Alex to get behind him and in the Czech Republic in the Sprint where he let Pedro Acosta pass. In both cases, Marc Marquez then flew to victory without difficulty at the end.
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The regulations regarding tire pressure and the penalty imposed on Acosta in Texas have infuriated Pit Beirer, KTM’s head: “The rule is simply absurd – said Beirer according to the report by speedweek.com – also because it has nothing to do with the intention or not to cheat. One can also start with a bit of margin, but if you find yourself in the slipstream of another rider the pressure rises and the bike becomes unrideable. Conversely, if you are alone in the lead the pressure drops dramatically. We are not in the same situation as Marc Marquez last year, who could reasonably expect to race alone in front and set the pressure at the start accordingly taking into account this likely race dynamic. This rule must absolutely be changed or abolished. The fact that something like this can decide the outcome of races is simply scandalous. A difference of 0.03 bar in tire pressure does not entail either an advantage or a disadvantage. It is total nonsense, because it says nothing about whether someone did a good job or not. I met the president of the FIM on the starting grid and he told me: ‘This rule must be changed immediately.’ I replied: ‘You are the president of the FIM, change it.’ We all start with the same tire pressure and then race.”
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