Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta has criticised the decision to restart the Catalan Grand Prix for a second time after two red-flag stoppages.
Acosta was involved in the first incident as a sudden loss of power caught out Alex Marquez. The Gresini rider will undergo surgery on Sunday evening after fracturing his clavicle in the resulting horror crash.
The race had barely resumed when Francesco Bagnaia, Luca Marini and Johann Zarco tangled at the first corner, which brought out another red flag. Zarco had to be taken to hospital with leg and knee injuries.
What safety changes, if any, do you want to see after the Catalan Grand Prix red flags?
Pedro Acosta thinks Johann Zarco crash should have ended Catalan GP
Speaking to TNT Sports, Acosta said the race shouldn’t have been restarted after the second flag, even if it would have prevented full points from being awarded.
The Spaniard appreciates the importance of the ‘show’ but says that the wellbeing of the riders, some of whom appeared to be shaken, should come first.
Polesitter Acosta battled for the lead throughout the race but had fallen to fourth before Ai Ogura took him out at the final corner, earning a three-second penalty in the process.
Was it right to restart the Catalan GP after two big accidents?
“It’s never easy to come back again after a not nice situation like we lived today, after a really big crash from Alex,” he said.
“Also, I think it’s not really necessary after two crashes or two red flags to go again for a third try. These things are not really necessary. The show is important, but we are the ones that make the show.”
Pedro Acosta explains what happened before Alex Marquez incident
Emphasising that the health of Marquez and Zarco was all that mattered, Acosta was reluctant to discuss sporting matters.
He decelerated so quickly on the run to turn 10 that neither he nor Marquez could get out of the way.
Some observers called for KTM to be prevented from taking the restart given the possibility of a recurrence.
- READ MORE: MotoGP TV direction should be ashamed after Alex Marquez crash replays at Catalan Grand Prix
“I don’t really want to talk about the race,” said Acosta. “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong today, it looks like.
“In the straight, I went from full throttle to not having any throttle. Everything went really badly.”
Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini also retired with a mechanical failure, while Acosta’s factory teammate Brad Binder had to leave the grid before the initial race start and join the back of the pack.
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