The start of the race at the United States Grand Prix was marked by a notable incident between Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta, which took place on the first lap. Both riders were expecting an intense battle, and the result was a crash that nearly caused them to fall off their bikes.
Bezzecchi, riding for Aprilia Racing, and Acosta were fighting for the lead when contact occurred at the exit of turn 11. Bezzecchi opted for a tighter line, but both went farther than they expected at the entrance of the corner, accelerating toward the back straight.
At the moment of the collision, Acosta was already on the edge of the track. The maneuver caused Bezzecchi to lose part of his fairing, but he managed to maintain control of his bike and regain the lead position.
Despite the incident, the stewards did not open any investigation, and neither rider indicated that the other was at fault. Bezzecchi explained: “Acosta was in front of me, and I wanted to pass him because keeping the front tire fresh here is very important. In turn 11, he braked very late, I did too, but a little earlier. Both bikes went wide, but he went wider than I did.”
On the other hand, Acosta described Bezzecchi’s maneuver as hard racing, highlighting the wind as a factor that made it difficult for them to control their bikes: “It wasn’t the best way to start the race. The bikes are heavy with a full tank, and the wind was quite strong.”
Despite the incident, Bezzecchi achieved his fifth consecutive victory in MotoGP, with Acosta finishing the race in third place after losing a position to his teammate Jorge Martin. Bezzecchi admitted that the damage to his bike affected his performance, especially when braking: “I didn’t know I had damaged the bike, but I noticed it was behaving strangely when braking.”
He ended by commenting that he had to adjust his riding style to adapt to the situation, emphasizing the importance of maximizing the strengths of his bike to continue competing at the highest level.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI