SEPANG, Oct 29 — Spanish rider Pedro Acosta capitalised on the mixed weather conditions to clinch victory in the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) Sprint race amid overcast skies and light drizzle at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) here today.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider clocked 20 minutes 4.09 seconds (s) to take the chequered flag, finishing 0.578s ahead of compatriot Marc Marquez of Ducati Lenovo Team, who settled for second place.
Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia Racing completed the podium in third after crossing the finish line 1.310s behind Acosta.
Acosta said he was pleased to take the opportunity to deliver a strong performance in the mixed conditions, admitting that such circumstances had not always worked in his favour.
“Normally, in mixed conditions, I don't do such a good job, but today was the day to try. I had nothing to lose, even knowing that Marc was behind fighting for the championship and Aleix had crashed. It was my opportunity to try something different,” he said after the race here today.
He also credited his team for their hard work in improving the front end of his KTM machine, adding that he was determined to avoid a repeat of the mistakes made at the Australian Grand Prix.
“We are doing a good job. The guys have been working so hard to improve the front of the bike, so I am very happy for them. We have the second one now, and we didn't mess it up like in Australia. It was a good one,” he said. — Bernama
