The Mandalika race weekend once again demonstrated why the strict MotoGP tyre pressure regulations remain widely disliked by both riders and fans alike. Pedro Acosta faced a severely compromised grand prix in Indonesia due to falling front tyre pressure, a technical hurdle for which the young Spanish rider believes there is a straightforward solution for the entire grid.
MotoGP introduced a major technical regulation change back in August 2023, obliging all riders to spend a mandatory minimum amount of time during a race above a designated pressure threshold. Currently, the rule mandates competitors to keep front tyre pressure above 1.80 bar for 60 percent of the laps in a full grand prix and 30 percent in a sprint race, carrying strict penalties of 16 and 8 seconds for non-compliance.
Michelin, acting as the exclusive tyre supplier to the premier class, developed a specialized monitoring system to track tyre pressure dynamically during races and enforce penalties on transgressors. Last Sunday at Mandalika, Tech3's Maverick Vinales was handed a 16-second post-race penalty for failing to maintain the required minimum pressure duration, though it ultimately had no bearing on his final classified position.
However, this exact tyre pressure protocol heavily impacted several front-runners in Indonesia, most notably championship contender Jorge Martin on Saturday, alongside Marc Marquez and Acosta on Sunday afternoon. The latter two spent a massive portion of the race swapping positions back and forth just so they could trail each other and allow their front tyre pressures to recover.
The defensive maneuvering forced them to drop their pace so significantly that Ai Ogura managed to hunt them down in the closing laps and snatch positions at the checkered flag. Voicing his frustration after the race, Acosta did not hold back his criticism regarding the current sporting guidelines.
"The pressure rule is the biggest nonsense in the championship," the KTM rider stated after having to let Marquez pass him multiple times despite holding superior race pace. "You can't be fighting for the title and have that happen to you. You can't predict the future, and deciding what pressure to put in the tyres forces you to do so. If you set it too high, the bike doesn't work, and if you set it too low, you run the risk of being penalised."
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