Tensions Rise in Hungary: Acosta Lashes Out at Quartararo
The Hungarian Grand Prix sprint turned into a drama-filled spectacle after Fabio Quartararo triggered a major collision at Turn 1, shaking up the order and leaving several riders frustrated. The factory Yamaha rider, who launched aggressively from sixth on the grid, attempted a daring inside move into Balaton Park’s notoriously tight opening corner. However, the gamble backfired, leading to contact with Enea Bastianini’s Tech3 KTM and indirectly affecting Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta.
As a result, Quartararo has been handed a long-lap penalty to serve in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. While the sanction will significantly compromise his chances of a top finish, the Frenchman insisted that he wasn’t “over the limit” and suggested that track conditions played a key role in the miscalculation.
How the Collision Unfolded
The start of the sprint was tense, with all riders aware that Balaton Park’s Turn 1 offers one of the most difficult braking zones of the season. Quartararo made an excellent launch and sought to maximize his advantage by diving down the inside of several rivals. But with the inside line proving dusty and less grippy, he carried too much speed and could not slow down in time.
He slammed into the rear of Bastianini’s KTM, forcing Acosta and Bezzecchi wide as they tried to avoid the chaos. Both lost vital positions, while Bastianini’s bike sustained damage to the rear ride height device, which later contributed to his separate clash with Johann Zarco.
The stewards reviewed the incident and deemed Quartararo responsible, issuing him a long-lap penalty for Sunday’s main race.
Quartararo Explains His Mistake
After the sprint, Quartararo admitted he braked late but defended his decision, saying the conditions caught him out rather than reckless overconfidence.
“I braked late, I don’t think I was over the limit,” the Frenchman told the official MotoGP website. “But it was a bit dirty, and then of course some riders closed the line – which is normal. I had to release the brakes completely, and then I hit Enea. These things can happen.”
His explanation suggested that while he was aggressive, it was more a case of misjudging the grip level than intentionally risky riding.
Bastianini Frustrated After Being “Hit on the Bike and the Back”
For Enea Bastianini, the incident was particularly painful. After working hard all weekend to improve his starts on the KTM, he found himself in second place into Turn 1, only for his race to unravel in an instant.
“Yeah, not my expectations because I did a very good start for the first time with my KTM,” Bastianini said. “We have worked a lot during this weekend to improve the start. And I was in the second position, but Fabio made a mistake and hit me not only on the bike but also on the back and I lost many positions.”
His compromised bike later played a role in his collision with Johann Zarco, which earned him a double long-lap penalty for Sunday. It was a miserable sprint for the Italian, who never got the chance to capitalize on his strong launch.
Pedro Acosta Takes Aim at Quartararo
Perhaps the strongest criticism came from Pedro Acosta, who did not mince his words when speaking about the incident. The KTM rookie, who has impressed throughout the season, felt Quartararo “destroyed” multiple riders’ races with his Turn 1 misjudgment.
“We made a good start, we made a good braking for Turn 1, and then Fabio came and destroyed more or less the races of Bezzecchi, Bastianini and my one,” Acosta said. “For this, it is what it is. It’s true that qualifying made everything worse, but to be honest it was quite tough to understand how Fabio went that wide. For this, it’s a tricky point and I hope everyone tomorrow is more calm, and let’s see what is going on. He was riding all the weekend, he knows exactly how the first corner is.”
Acosta later crashed while battling with Jorge Martin, but his frustration remained centered on Quartararo’s Turn 1 move, which he felt was entirely avoidable.
Bezzecchi More Forgiving
While Acosta was openly critical, Marco Bezzecchi adopted a more balanced tone. The Aprilia rider explained that he was able to avoid a worse outcome, even if his race was still compromised by being forced wide.
“It’s something that can happen in any race, especially in a track where the first corner is so tight,” Bezzecchi said. “In particular for me, I was closing the door on [Fabio] Di Giannantonio and DiGia touched me a bit because he was already lifting the bike when he saw Quartararo. So, fortunately I lifted the bike as well and I was able to let Fabio go. But Bastianini was there. When I went wide, then I got passed by many people and it was difficult to gain positions back again. But this is racing, so we try again tomorrow.”
Bezzecchi’s remarks highlight the unpredictable nature of sprint racing, where aggressive opening laps can make or break a rider’s result.
Morbidelli Adds Perspective
Franco Morbidelli, who secured a strong third-place finish in the sprint, also defended Quartararo, noting that the braking zone at Turn 1 makes errors almost inevitable.
“It’s really difficult to get the right braking and it’s really easy to make mistakes in these kinds of brakings,” Morbidelli said. “And that happened. Luckily I was able to avoid everything.”
His comments echoed Bezzecchi’s view that such mistakes are part of the high-risk, high-reward nature of sprint racing.
The Penalties and Their Implications
Quartararo’s long-lap penalty for Sunday will be costly but not devastating, especially given his strong pace in recent races. A well-timed recovery ride could still put him in the points. For Bastianini, however, the double long-lap penalty is a bigger blow. With his season already marred by inconsistency and incidents, the added sanction makes his Sunday challenge even tougher.
The penalties highlight MotoGP’s commitment to ensuring accountability, particularly when multiple riders are affected. While some peers defended Quartararo, the stewards’ decision reflects the need to discourage overly risky opening-lap maneuvers.
A Rare Mistake from Quartararo
What stands out most about this incident is how uncharacteristic it was for Quartararo. The Frenchman has built his career on precision and clean racing, rarely involving himself in collisions that take out rivals. Saturday’s Turn 1 chaos was a reminder that even the most consistent and polished riders are not immune to errors under intense pressure.
Looking Ahead to the Grand Prix
With both Quartararo and Bastianini carrying penalties into Sunday’s race, the Hungarian Grand Prix promises to be another unpredictable contest. For Quartararo, the focus will be on damage limitation, salvaging as many points as possible while avoiding further controversy. For Bastianini, the challenge is even steeper, as his penalties and damaged confidence make a top result unlikely.
Meanwhile, riders like Franco Morbidelli and Jorge Martin will be looking to capitalize on the chaos, while Pedro Acosta will aim to bounce back from his sprint crash and prove a point against the very riders he feels wronged him.
Conclusion
The Hungary sprint race was defined by Fabio Quartararo’s misjudged Turn 1 maneuver, an incident that derailed the hopes of Bastianini, Bezzecchi, and Acosta, and handed the Frenchman a long-lap penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix. While some peers were forgiving, others like Acosta were far more critical, sparking debate across the paddock.
For Quartararo, it was a rare mistake in an otherwise disciplined career, and one he will now have to recover from in the main event. For fans, the drama was yet another reminder of MotoGP’s intensity, where the smallest miscalculation can change the entire complexion of a race.
