Was there any contact? “There was contact.” Would you have done the same? “Sure.”
Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) shorter answers still tell plenty of the story after his stunning duel with Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) in Buriram. Team Manager of the Ducati Lenovo Team, Davide Tardozzi, was initially vocal about the move not being contact, but it was confirmed by both riders thereafter that there was a little. Or some? The penalty itself cites “causing contact with another rider when overtaking and gaining unfair advantage through it, resulting in a position change”, in the end of day report from the FIM MotoGP Stewards.
Here it is from every angle in the unlikely event you missed it - and remember, this is the penultimate lap after we'd already enjoyed plenty of fireworks.
On the Acosta side, the #37 started his debrief of it from the moments straight after the incident, which had left him one lap to try and gain back the time on Marquez ahead.
“After our contact on the final lap, I wasn’t really believing. I was trying because I was quite fast in T3 and T4 and I was making back what I was losing in T1 and T2. Marc was braking super late at the last corner and Turn 1 and it was quite difficult to make the move, but anyway, we have to be happy. Even without his penalty, we have to be happy with the job we’ve done and for the battle we were able to have.”
Acosta also said he’d “like to win the race battling for it, but anyway, you have to be there to get these things..."
On the Marquez side, the #93 was wily as ever, and mainly argues the timing.
“There was a contact. A small contact. But my bike was already half a bike in front, already from the entry. So the Stewards decided to give me a penalty. OK. In my opinion that penalty, the message, arrives too late. Because it only arrived at the last corner. If they want to have this system, if they want to be more strict, they need to send the penalty on the exit of T3. Don’t wait until the last corner. But, OK, today I paid, so the most important thing is I finished second which is good.”
He also had some words that any fans who feel it was an unfair penalty will enjoy: “I think already today the MotoGP fans understand the fire inside of me is there”, so more can be expected on Sunday. And for those on the fence or Team Pedro, Acosta will be attempting a re-run to see how it shakes out on Take 2 – having previously already said he thinks he’s got better legs on Sunday for the longer race distance.
“We will try to beat him tomorrow and if it’s not possible, it is what it is. But I’m really happy about the battle we were able to have today.”
Check out the duo and third-place finisher Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) returning from the podium below in our exclusive Unheard, and don’t miss the Thai GP on Sunday from 15:00 local time as the duel heads back out for another bout – likely plus Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) as the fastest rider so far this weekend looks to prove his own point on Sunday. What. A. Start.