News Summary
- Álex Márquez gave Pedro Acosta the middle finger after overtaking the KTM rider during their fight for second at Misano.
- The Gresini rider immediately acknowledged he had gone too far, telling Acosta: “I lost my head there, I’m sorry.”
- Acosta accepted the apology before the podium ceremony and went on to finish third behind the Márquez brothers.
Álex Márquez apologised to Pedro Acosta after losing his temper during their fight for second place in the San Marino GP at Misano.
The Gresini rider made the gesture after completing a move on Acosta during a tense battle in the third sector. Márquez raised his middle finger towards the KTM rider, an incident that might have escaped wider attention before MotoGP replayed it while the podium finishers were watching the race highlights together after the chequered flag.
That produced an immediate apology.
“I lost my head there, I’m sorry,” Márquez told Acosta as the pair watched the replay.
MotoGP’s own post-race footage confirms Márquez’s wording and shows the exchange between the two riders before the podium ceremony.
Márquez acknowledged that the gesture had gone beyond what was acceptable in a fight for position, while Acosta accepted the apology and the incident ended without further confrontation between the pair.
The battle itself had significant consequences for the race. Márquez had started only ninth after crashing twice during qualifying at Misano, but recovered rapidly through the field.
He eventually moved ahead of Acosta and later overtook Jorge Martín for second, before closing on race leader Marc Márquez during the final laps.
Marc held on to win by just 0.657s, with Álex completing a Márquez one-two and Acosta taking third. The KTM rider’s podium followed another strong performance at Aragón and moved him into fifth place in the championship with 209 points.
For Álex, second place represented an impressive recovery after a difficult Saturday. He had shown front-running speed throughout the weekend — finishing fourth in FP1 as Marc Márquez led the opening session and third in Friday Practice — but his two Q2 crashes left him with considerable work to do on Sunday.
The Gresini rider ultimately recovered seven positions and came within less than a second of victory. Marc’s win also took him level with Martín on 274 points and into the championship lead on countback.
MotoGP returns from September 18-20 with the Austrian GP at Spielberg, round 15 of the 2026 season. GRANDE PRÊMIO follows the entire weekend, as well as the other categories of the Motorcycle World Championship.
FAQ
Why did Álex Márquez apologise to Pedro Acosta at Misano?
Márquez apologised after giving Acosta the middle finger during their fight for second place in the San Marino GP. He later admitted he had lost his head in the heat of the battle.
What did Álex Márquez say to Pedro Acosta after the race?
After seeing the incident replayed before the podium ceremony, Márquez told Acosta: “I lost my head there, I’m sorry.” Acosta accepted the apology.
Where did Álex Márquez and Pedro Acosta finish the San Marino GP?
Álex Márquez finished second, 0.657s behind his brother Marc Márquez, while Acosta completed the podium in third, 2.326s behind the winner.
