Pedro Acosta warns MotoGP over €5000 rider fines: ‘Legends won’t return’

Pedro Acosta has warned MotoGP to “roll off” and respect riders more or “legends will go out of the paddock and not want to come back” amid new penalties for missing PR events.

A report from Motorsport over the Indonesian Grand Prix revealed that MotoGP will begin issuing €5000 fines to riders for missing PR events during race weekends.

It comes after concerns that riders had stopped turning up to fan events, while this was thrust into the spotlight more in Japan when Marc Marquez shunned a karting race ahead of the grand prix.

Riders have also been warned that sporting penalties may follow for repeat offenders, though no details on what these could be are available.

MotoGP needs to “give us some space”

Marquez ripped into the new penalties for missing PR events on Sunday at Mandalika, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta echoing his thoughts.

“Totally disagree [with it],” he began.

“You cannot force a rider to do something, taking into consideration all the things that are behind the guys, and maybe the organisation didn’t know.

“Like, Raul [Fernandez] today, he had a broken bone; he should go to take care of that because the guy is using that finger to brake.

“Maybe he’s having pain, maybe one time he could not brake and maybe the mess is even bigger.

“For this, I understand that we don’t go to these things many, many times.

“But I think it also depends on the moment. The organisation should roll off a bit and give us a bit of space, like Marc in Japan. I totally agree with what he did.”

Teams, riders “looking at their interests”

This topic, as well as the widely panned 2027 race weekend format announced last week, have raised the issue of a lack of a riders’ union.

Acosta doubts a union will ever happen and claims too many riders and teams have their own agendas at heart.

“That moment should arrive, but I think it will never come,” he said.

“Everyone is looking for their own interests. Even the teams are looking at their interests and the interests for the brand.

“Like I said on Thursday; the career of the riders will be shorter and shorter.

“We will see legends who will go out of the paddock and not even want to come back, because of the stress that we have is too high; they really are too high. I hope this improves.”