Grand Prix Thailand Sprint: Ducati head Davide Tardozzi criticises 'unfair' Marc Marquez penalty decision

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Ducati team co-ordinator Davide Tardozzi was left unimpressed by the decision from race stewards to penalise his rider and reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez for an illegal overtake as KTM rider Pedro Acosta benefited from the decision to claim victory at the Grand Prix Thailand Sprint race on Saturday. Marquez accepted the decision, saying he was happy to focus on the points won.

Grand Prix Thailand Sprint highlights: Acosta triumphs as Marquez penalised

Video credit: TNT Sports

Ducati Lenovo head Davide Tardozzi said the decision to give Marc Marquez a penalty at the Grand Prix Thailand Sprint was "unfair."

Marquez started second on the grid and had an early tussle with Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia, but the Italian soon crashed out and was not able to finish the race.

The pair had enjoyed a scrap for the lead on Saturday but, when Bezzecchi fell by the wayside, KTM’s Pedro Acosta emerged as the most dangerous threat to the world champion.

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The two Spaniards then went at it for much of the rest of the race, with the younger man emerging victorious.

The key moment came when Acosta held the lead, and Marquez attacked from deep.

Acosta attempted to resist the move but had to concede ground after there was contact and decided to run wide around the corner and let the world champion in for the lead.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

A quick decision from race officials then confirmed that Marquez had made an illegal move to overtake. He was ordered to give up his place to Acosta, who then held onto the lead and did not give it up all the way to the finish line.

While Marquez was magnanimous over the decision, mainly happy to focus on a point-scoring return to the track after a four-and-a-half month absence because of a shoulder injury sustained at Grand Prix Indonesia last October, Ducati head Tardozzi was more transparently frustrated with the call from the race stewards.

He said: "I think that we saw a lot of these kinds of overtakes. Marc didn’t touch Pedro. He didn’t go out of the racetrack. So, I think it’s unfair."

He added: "They are intelligent guys who want to win races, so Marc and Pedro know exactly this kind of job and I think it will absolutely not be a problem. I’m sure that Pedro in the opposite position would do the same."

Acosta thus took the very early lead in the world championship standings, with the full-length race to come on Sunday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

After the race, Acosta and Marquez exchanged warm words, with no animosity showing between the pair, and speaking afterwards, the Ducati man accepted his punishment, while the KTM rider said he had enjoyed the tough racing as the quality that MotoGP fans want to see when they come to watch.

Acosta is tipped to join Marquez for the 2027 season, with Francesco Bagnaia likely to leave Ducati at the end of the current campaign after an awful time in 2025.

That might have smoothed over any tensions between the pair as they knew they would likely soon have a working relationship they would not want to risk souring.

Stream every race of the 2025 MotoGP season live on TNT Sports and discovery+

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