Acosta Wins Buriram Sprint After Post-Race Penalty for Marquez
BURIRAM, Thailand — Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM) secured his first MotoGP Sprint victory at the Chang International Circuit after a 13-lap battle with Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo). The race was decided by a "drop one position" penalty issued to Marquez following a block-pass on the penultimate lap.
Pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) led the opening lap before crashing at Turn 8 on Lap 2, handing the lead to Marquez. Acosta spent the remainder of the race tailing the #93, repeatedly attempting overtakes at the final corner. While the KTM RC16 showed superior mid-corner speed, Marquez used the Ducati GP26's acceleration to defend the lead on the straights.
On Lap 12, Marquez ran wide at Turn 5, allowing Acosta through. Marquez responded with a lunging move at Turn 12, making contact and forcing Acosta off-line. Race Direction immediately issued a penalty, requiring Marquez to drop one position. Marquez slowed entering the final corner of the last lap to let Acosta past, securing second place ahead of Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP).
Saturday Results & Qualifying Standings
MotoGP Sprint (Top 3)
- 1st: Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- 2nd: Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team)
- 3rd: Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
Moto2 Qualifying (Top 3)
- 1st: Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) – 1:34.576
- 2nd: Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2)
- 3rd: Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team)
Moto3 Qualifying (Top 3)
- 1st: David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) – 1:40.088 (New Lap Record)
- 2nd: Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo)
- 3rd: Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing)
Technical Observations
Acosta now becomes the first KTM rider to lead the MotoGP World Championship. Behind the podium battle, Trackhouse Racing secured a 3-4 finish with Ai Ogura taking fourth. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) completed the top five. Defending champion Francesco Bagnaia struggled for pace, finishing P9 to take the final point.
Would you like me to prepare a separate breakdown of the Motul-supported teams' performances (KTM and HRC) for your Infiniteserv reports?
