– “There is not much to say about the race,” says Pedro Acosta after the Grand Prix in Barcelona. “The most important thing is that we know Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco are okay, as well as everyone else who crashed.”
Read more “Relationship absolutely top”: Maro Engel clears up Verstappen rumor
“Once again, we had a Sunday that could have ended very badly. Fortunately, everyone seems to have come out more or less unscathed. All our best wishes go to Alex and Johann.”
“Everything else is not really important.” A technical problem with Acosta’s KTM triggered the serious accident of Alex Marquez in the twelfth lap. Suddenly, Acosta’s motorcycle had no drive when accelerating.
How did he experience this critical situation? “It seems to have been an electronic failure. It was as if the motorcycle suddenly died, and everything stopped working. The throttle no longer responded.”
“That happened exactly at the moment I ducked behind the fairing.” Acosta immediately raised his hand, but it was already too late. Alex Marquez had already collided with him.
The rear of the KTM and the rear tire were heavily damaged. Without drive, the two Pramac riders helped him back to the pit. At first, an electronics problem was suspected as the cause in the KTM box.
Acosta switched to his second motorcycle for the restart. After the start accident with Johann Zarco (LCR-Honda), the race was interrupted again and the riders returned to the pits.
Acosta questions the fact that the race was started again afterwards on DAZN Spain: “When something like this happens, it is really terrible that we pretend nothing happened and go back on track as if everything were normal.”
“Even as MotoGP riders who already have a certain level of experience with such things. I understand that we have to go out again after a red flag, but after the second one …”
“I don’t really agree with racing again after two red flags. If something bad has already happened twice in the same race, I don’t think it makes much sense to go out again.”
“I think people’s health comes before the show,” says the 21-year-old Spaniard. “We had enough show today with the two red flags. There was no need to run a third race.”
Acosta wants to visit the safety commission again
In recent weeks, there has been discussion in the paddock about the low rider participation in the safety commission. Usually, only a handful of riders attend to discuss important topics.
Acosta is usually among the absentees. On Thursday in Barcelona, he said that in his first MotoGP season he regularly attended the meeting. During his second season, last year, he stopped going.
He explained this on Thursday: “I already have enough problems in the box, so I hardly have time to go there at all. If there is really something important to discuss, I go.”
Read more The first Jaguar of the new era finally has a name: Type 01
“But normally nothing really interesting has happened in the last few races. I just wasn’t there.” This opinion changed for Acosta after the events on Sunday.
At the next race, which takes place in Mugello, he will go to the safety commission meeting on Friday evening: “I will definitely go next week to talk about my opinion on the third start.”
“Mechanical problems can happen, a crash can happen, and overall the track was actually safe enough, more or less. Because what happened usually doesn’t happen, since it was on a straight.”
“A lot happened, but normally, when you think about it: The riders are the ones who put on the show for the fans. That’s why the health of those who make the show possible is much more important than the show itself.”
Ogura takes Acosta out in the final corner
After the final restart, Acosta led the race for a long time, but in the final phase he had no grip left. He was overtaken by Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46-Ducati), Joan Mir (Honda), and Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini-Ducati).
In the last lap, Ai Ogura (Trackhouse-Aprilia) launched an overtaking maneuver in the final corner and cut inside. The Japanese rider touched Acosta, who crashed but fortunately remained uninjured.
Trackhouse team boss Davide Brivio apologized to DAZN Spain: “I feel very bad for Pedro. I apologize to him. Something like this can happen, but Ai is a very clean, very respectful rider.”
“It was the last corner. Ai judged that he had space to cut in. We accept the decision and the penalty, but we can’t change anything about it.”
Ogura received a three-second time penalty. In the final result, this meant eighth place. The Japanese called it a “stupid maneuver,” took the blame, and apologized to Acosta.
“I thought I could make it. What I expected and what I then did were different. I almost went straight into Pedro and took him out.”
“Right after the race, I went to his box. Pedro wasn’t there. I went to his motorhome and we already talked about what happened. He was fine, and I just apologized to him.”
An apology that Acosta accepted: “He waited for me at my motorhome. He waited a long time until I came out of the box and apologized. I take my hat off to him for showing a certain level of humility.”
Read more Jenson Button: How Ross Brawn got Honda back on track
