Johann Zarco Reveals a Wild Pit Lane Trick He Encountered with Pedro Acosta in Malaysia

MotoGP: Johann Zarco’s Encounter with Pedro Acosta’s Unorthodox Tactic in Malaysia

During the Malaysian Grand Prix, Johann Zarco experienced a surprising moment while trying to follow Pedro Acosta in the pit lane. As Zarco attempted to match the young Spaniard’s speed, he quickly realized Acosta had an unusual method for shaving off precious seconds.

Zarco later laughed about his failed attempt, explaining, “After my first tire, I wanted to follow someone faster.” But when he tried to follow the 20-year-old Acosta on his GASGAS, the rookie appeared to accelerate unusually quickly in the pit lane. Zarco joked, “I think he turned off the speed limiter! He knows the fine is only 1 euro, so when he wants to get ahead, he’ll pay the 1 euro! That’s MotoGP style—when you’ve got some money!”

Despite this unexpected twist, Zarco managed to top the Q1 session, while Acosta narrowly missed Q2, finishing third.

In MotoGP, there’s a “pay for tow” approach some riders use to get a speed advantage, as the rules allow one instance of pit-lane speeding without penalty, provided the speed isn’t “excessively high.” Repeated offenses, however, bring heavier fines. Simon Crafar, the future president of the FIM MotoGP commission, hinted that pit lane speed regulations may be tightened next season.

For now, many teams are content to pay the minor fines to enhance their qualifying times. Meanwhile, Acosta heads to Barcelona for the season finale, holding a narrow three-point lead over Brad Binder in the battle for fifth in the world championship standings.