Four riders under minimum tyre pressure in Qatar MotoGP race
Fortunately for all of the riders in question - Alex Marquez (6th), Jack Miller (9th), Johann Zarco (12th) and Augusto Fernandez (15th) - it was their first offence.
The quartet therefore join Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Luca Marini, Maverick Vinales, Franco Morbidelli, Raul Fernandez, Iker Lecuona, Pol Espargaro, Marco Bezzecchi, Marc Marquez and Aleix Espargaro (plus wild-cards Alvaro Bautista and Dani Pedrosa) in having received an Official Warning this season.
Any further breach - failing to meet the minimum pressure for 33% of the Sprint race laps or 50% of the grand prix laps - in next weekend’s Valencia finale will result in a 3 second post-race time penalty.
The exception is Aleix Espargaro, who has already been under twice and so risks a 6-second penalty if he offends again.
By contrast, any rider that starts next Sunday's finale without an Official Warning would be able to use a deliberately low pressure, to counter overheating behind other bikes, safe in the knowledge that their race result is not at risk.
The full-time riders yet to use their low-pressure warning 'joker' are Fabio Quartararo, Takaaki Nakagami, Brad Binder, Joan Mir, Fabio di Giannantonio, as well as the injured Alex Rins and Miguel Oliveira.
