Acosta first rider to break MotoGP's newest rule

Factory KTM rider Pedro Acosta has been hit with a fine of €2000 for breaching MotoGP’s new restart rule that was introduced ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

Acosta crashed the RC16 at Turn 1 with about 2m45s left on the clock in Q2, before remounting and going on to qualify fifth on the grid.

However, this was in contravention of a new regulation announced on Thursday, which forbids riders from rejoining the track after a crash in the final three minutes of practice or qualifying.

FIM’s MotoGP stewards panel, led by Simon Crafar, investigated the incident and opted for a fine over a sporting penalty.

Acosta accepted the decision but pointed out how difficult it is for riders to think about the clock in the chaos following an incident.

“It was not the best way to finish a Saturday,” he said of the penalty. “But I understand his [Crafar’s] part and more or less they understand mine. 

“Because I arrived there and I said, 'yeah, guys, but first of all, when a rider crashes, the last thing that they will do is to check the dash to see if it's three minutes to go or 3m20s'. 

“And also, if the marshals are pushing you out, you will not be the one that brakes and pulls the bike out. It's quite normal, not only for the riders, for everyone. I'm quite lucky that normally I'm always able to start back the bike.

“For this, okay, they understand my part, I understand their one. Not the nicest thing for my bank account, but it's what it is. Could be worse.”

The crash in Q2 was Acosta’s third of the weekend following previous falls in Friday practice.

Despite that, he ended Saturday’s sprint as the top non-Ducati in fourth, and was elevated to third when Fermin Aldeguer was penalised for a tyre pressure infringement.

Acosta shadowed second-placed Alex Márquez closely through the opening half of the race before KTM’s tyre degradation issues saw him slip down the order in the closing stages.

“I have to say that I'm impressed that I didn't finish that far for how bad it was,” said the Spaniard, who was classified 5.5s off race winner Francesco Bagnaia.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Shameem Fahath / Motorsport Network

“I was maintaining the pace quite okay until lap 5-6 with Alex. I was not that far but then the last four-five laps, I started to lose seven tenths, eight tenths, one second. It's dramatic. 

“But I have to understand that there are things that are not in my hands. It looks like I did everything I had in my hands. 

“Qualified fifth, yesterday going [into Q2] in PR [Practice] where no one was more or less believing. And today I finished [inside] top four.”