Glowing praise for Marc Marquez’s handling of fiery Pedro Acosta in podium scrap

Marc Marquez has been handed due credit for the way he fended off Pedro Acosta in the sprint race at the Americas MotoGP.

Acosta was the loser of a three-rider fight, involving Marquez and Jorge Martin, for the two podium positions behind winner Maverick Vinales on Saturday.

The gutsy and in-form Acosta was handed his first major lesson in MotoGP from experienced rivals when he was forced to settle for P4.

Kevin Schwantz, the 1993 world champion from Texas, was in the paddock at the Circuit of the Americas to watch the exciting tussle.

“It sure looked like [Marquez] was struggling with Pedro behind him. When he was tight behind him,” Schwantz told TNT Sport.

“Pedro was catching him on the brakes. Then Marquez had a moment in the S’s.

“They both seemed to settle. And it went from there…”

Michael Laverty analysed: “It seemed like Pedro had speed, with the move down the inside of Turn 7. Quite aggressive.

“But Marc laid it back over the top of him, as he does.

“Marc said himself that he didn’t have anything for Maverick, especially in Sector 1.

“But he knew that he had a little more when Pedro attacked him. He put his head down, and got a little bit of a comfort zone.”

Marquez finished second behind Vinales. Martin secured third, ahead of Acosta.

Teenage rookie Acosta later admitted that Marquez and Martin had been “cleverer” and vowed to learn from their tricks of the trade, namely the specific moments to push their machine.

Marquez said himself: “I decided to wait for my moment at the front of the group, but when Pedro attacked me I said ‘now is the time’.”

'They let Maverick Vinales get a gap, it was over...'

Aprilia’s Vinales has now won consecutive sprint races, in Portimao and Texas.

“I didn’t expect Maverick - who has struggled with his starts - to get such a fire of a start,” Schwantz said.

“Then, Pedro, Marc and Martin battling it out for second and third. They let him get a gap, and it was all over, at that point.

“The battle for second, third and fourth was tough for a few laps and it let Maverick get a better gap. Game over, in a 10-lapper.”

Vinales, on Sunday in the grand prix, starts from pole position and has a great chance to become the first-ever rider to win in MotoGP with three different manufacturers.

His sprint victories do not officially count towards this record.

'Big day' for Jorge Martin despite crashes

Perhaps the under-the-radar winner from Saturday’s sprint was Pramac rider Martin.

Despite crashing twice in qualifying and starting from a lowly sixth, he finished third.

It was enough to extend the championship lead, which he entered the Americas MotoGP with, two 25 points.

“Coming from sixth on the grid to actually build on his championship lead was a big day for him,” Schwantz said.

“When he crashed twice in qualifying, he probably expected worse than that.”