Acosta blames unexplained tyre issues for Qatar MotoGP drop

Pedro Acosta says the tyre pressure problem that cost him a podium chance at the Qatar Grand Prix came from issues that KTM does not yet understand, and he does not believe the brand was at fault. The KTM rider had been running in the top four when he moved aside to let Marc Marquez through into third at the start of lap six.

Acosta later had to give up places to Ai Ogura and Enea Bastianini to keep his front tyre pressure legal, and he finished sixth. He said his front tyre was unusually cold and that KTM had used the same strategy as other KTM riders, who were fine throughout the race. He also noted that it was not the first time he had encountered the problem, having done so at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

Acosta said the team would now check all of the data from the race, adding that the squad had improved considerably over the weekend.