MotoGP Austin sprint chaos: Martín wins as Acosta loses podium to penalty
The MotoGP Saturday in Austin delivered even more drama! After a spectacular last-lap sprint victory by Jorge Martín, a crash by Marco Bezzecchi, and a collision between Marc Márquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, there was yet another twist—Pedro Acosta has been stripped of his third-place finish!
The reason? His tire pressure fell below the mandatory minimum. Just moments after the checkered flag, MotoGP stewards led by Simon Crafar announced an investigation. Since the rule was introduced in the summer of 2023, such cases have almost always resulted in penalties. While there have been exceptions—Acosta himself escaped punishment at the 2024 Indonesian GP due to a sensor malfunction—this time, the rule held firm.
Acosta's tire pressure was indeed below the required threshold, earning him the standard eight-second time penalty. That drops the "Shark of Mazarrón" from the sprint podium all the way back to eighth place. Instead of seven championship points, he walks away with just two. As a result, his deficit to new series leader Jorge Martín now stands at 13 points—five more than it would have been. Teammate Enea Bastianini benefits, inheriting the bronze medal.
It's a bitter blow for Acosta, as repeating his podium performance on Sunday seems unlikely. Aprilia and Ducati dominated the sprint, leaving the Spaniard frustrated: "We're suffering. You can see they're faster, no matter who's riding," he admitted in the media session, sounding far from optimistic about race day. "Tomorrow, we'll have to suffer again and hope we're more competitive in Europe. It's just a matter of time before KTM fixes our weaknesses. We need a good start, and then it'll all come down to managing the tires."
What do you think Pedro Acosta can achieve in the US GP? Let us know in the comments!
