Acosta blames cold front tyre for Qatar setback

Pedro Acosta was left frustrated after the Qatar Grand Prix, where a problem with front tyre temperature on his KTM RC16 cost him positions. He said the low tyre pressure was a consequence of the front tyre staying cold for a reason he does not yet understand, adding that he had used the same setup all weekend without this issue before.

Acosta had been battling for a podium place early in the race, but he let several riders pass in an attempt to raise the pressure and avoid a penalty. He named Bastianini and Ogura among those ahead of him, before finishing sixth. He waited until the final lap to see whether the pressure would rise, and said he got back within the limits by a hair.

Acosta said he believed he could have finished fourth, close to the podium battle, had the tyre issue not arisen. He also said he did not think he would have had the pace to challenge for the podium, given Márquez's strong form in the middle of the race.