Pedro Acosta has admitted that he “doesn’t feel like a winner” as he won his first MotoGP career at Sprint at the 2026 Thai Grand Prix after a penalty for Marc Marquez.
KTM Horseman Acosta Mr Ducati Rival Marquez He crossed the finish line by just 0.108 seconds at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram on Saturday. After Márquez was told to drop one place, Acosta moved aside to lead the sprint in the final corner.
The head of the stewards’ panel, Simon Crafar, and his team wasted no time before telling Marquez to take back the lead in the sprint. Thailand GP to Acosta. Márquez was found to be overly eager on his pass to lead Acosta in the final corner.
Marquez forced Acosta to sit up after trying to force a block ball, but it was too late for Crafar to love the move. Acosta was able to rally his KTM RC16 in time to get ahead of Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez, who would likely inherit the win.
David Tardozzi disagrees with Marc Marquez’s penalty in the Sprint at the Thai GP
Would Pedro Acosta have made a similar move to leadership?
Pedro Acosta ‘doesn’t feel like a winner’ after Marc Marquez penalty decides Buriram Sprint
Without a penalty, Marquez will start the riders’ latest title defense with a first win of 2026. MotoGP season. rather than Acosta scored his first MotoGP victory in the sprint at the Thailand GPThis season, Aprilia racer Marco Bezecchi even crashed while in the lead.
Read more: Everything you need to know about the 2026 MotoGP season, from the calendar to the drivers
However, as Marquez’s penalty decided the result, Acosta did not feel like a winner after the Buriram Sprint. Bezecchi was a constant thorn in the side of his fellow Spaniard during the 11 laps he spent behind the Ducati rider after his fall, but Marquez otherwise kept his pace.
“It’s great to do a sprint like that, with Marc. It’s true, maybe I don’t feel like I won, because he passed me,” Acosta said in an official Park interview at Buriram.
But anyway, we have another chance tomorrow. I want to thank the people from Matighofen who have been working very hard and who help every day at home.
Pedro Acosta was a constant problem for Marc Marquez in the Thai Grand Prix sprint.
What do you think about this Pedro Acosta penalty for Marc Marquez?
Marquez’s penalty certainly put Acosta one step away from scoring the first victory of his MotoGP career. But the KTM rider made no mistakes in the sprint and the Ducati racer kept him more than loyal and simply couldn’t handle him as he struggled under braking.
Bezcicci’s crash could have given Marquez an easy win, but the seven-time champion raced throughout the race as he struggled to stop his bike in heavy braking. And every time Marquez got a moment, Acosta let his rival know he was there.
a lot MotoGP fans disagree with Marquez’s penalty in the Buriram Sprint. As Acosta got his bike up, the Ducati ace made little contact between the two riders. Marquez lost the top spot entirely, but kept his Ducati GP26 on the circuit.
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