Dani Pedrosa promoted to Sprint podium - Quartararo among 5 riders with tyre pressure penalties
Dani Pedrosa takes first MotoGP top three finish since 2017 - Fabio Quartararo among five riders to receive tyre pressure penalties.
Fabio Quartararo has been stripped of his Sprint podium at Jerez, promoting home wild-card star Dani Pedrosa to third place and his best MotoGP result since 2017.
Quartararo rode from 23rd to 3rd during a chaotic 12-lap contest that saw 15 riders crash, most due to hazardous damp patches from earlier rain.
The Yamaha rider held off Pedrosa (starting 16th) by just 0.050s at the chequered flag, but the Spaniard later revealed he hadn’t been aware they were fighting for a podium due to the carnage.
Had Pedrosa known, he said he would have risked more to try and pass the Frenchman on the final lap.
Ultimately he didn't need to.
Quartararo was among five riders to be punished on Saturday under the stricter 2024 tyre pressure penalties, which no longer allow an official warning for a first offence.
Thus, having failed to meet the minimum tyre pressure for 30% of the Sprint, they have each been given an 8-second post-race penalty.
As well as Quartararo, Raul Fernandez (sixth), Fabio di Giannantonio (13th), Jack Miller (14th) and Quartararo's team-mate Alex Rins (15th) have also been punished for the same offence.
KTM is planning an unofficial podium celebration for Pedrosa this evening, by bringing the Sprint rostrum to the back of their garage! Meanwhile, Quartararo signed 'his' third-place medal, adding the words 'enjoy Dani'.
Revised tyre pressure rules mean riders must now stay above a lower front minimum of 1.8 bar (instead of 1.88) for 60% (instead of 50%) of a Grand Prix distance, or 30% of a Sprint.
