The 2026 MotoGP season kicked off with controversy Saturday as a dramatic sprint race at Buriram saw KTM rider Pedro Acosta claim victory after a late-race clash with reigning champion Marc Márquez and an early crash from pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi. Acosta found himself battling Márquez for the lead multiple times, with the KTM rider attempting five overtakes throughout the race.
Márquez consistently fought back, but the final attempt by Acosta proved decisive. As Acosta closed in on the last corner before the final lap, Márquez made an aggressive move, forcing Acosta to briefly straighten his bike and lose momentum. Initially appearing to have secured the win, Márquez was then instructed by race direction to concede a position, doing so in the final corner to hand Acosta his first MotoGP sprint victory.
Márquez initially appeared frustrated, offering what seemed a sarcastic clap as he crossed the finish line, and was seen gesturing about the incident with Ducati team personnel after dismounting. However, when questioned by reporters, he downplayed the situation.
“My opinion… Race Direction decides, so I just follow the rules,” Márquez stated calmly, adding that he was focused on maximizing points in a weekend where Aprilia appeared to have an advantage over Ducati. “When I saw Bezzecchi crash, I just slowed the rhythm. I just tried to control.”
“I know a season in MotoGP is super long. What I tried to do was control the rhythm and every time Pedro overtook me, I passed him back on the next corner. Unfortunately, I had this penalty but nine points [for] my first race after an injury… It’s not bad, I’m happy.”
Acosta was more reserved when discussing the incident. “I don’t feel like a winner as he let me pass,” the Spaniard said.
The penalty drew strong reaction from Ducati officials. “I think we’ve seen a lot of overtaking like this,” said Davide Tardozzi, the team principal of the official Ducati squad, to the official MotoGP website. “Marc didn’t touch Pedro, he didn’t go off the track, so I think it’s unfair.”
Tardozzi believes the move was within the accepted standards of MotoGP racing: “I’m sure Pedro would have done the same in the reverse position.”
