After the Dutch TT in MotoGP, Marc Marquez received a penalty for having lower tire pressures than recommended by official supplier Michelin. The penalty resulted in Marquez dropping from fourth to tenth position in the race. Marquez, however, argued that he was only slightly below the limit for one lap, which occurred after contact with Enea Bastianini. He believes that there should be a change in the rules in the future to address this issue. The penalty promoted Franco Morbidelli to ninth place, with Marquez finishing ahead of Jack Miller in eleventh.
Marquez accepted the penalty, acknowledging that the rules must be followed, despite it being disappointing. During the race, Marquez surprised everyone when he intentionally let Fabio Di Giannantonio pass him for third place. Later, he explained that this was an attempt to decrease tire pressure. However, the incident with Bastianini disrupted his plan. Marquez felt that Bastianini should have received a penalty for forcing him off the track, but instead, Marquez received the penalty for his tire temperature. He agreed that the rules must be complied with, but suggested that contact should be taken into account when determining penalties in the future.
Maverick Vinales, who was behind Marquez and Di Giannantonio when they swapped positions, quickly understood the reason. Vinales realized that they were trying to increase the pressure of the front tires and decided to take the lead as he felt comfortable with his own tire pressure. Di Giannantonio also noticed what Marquez was trying to do and found it strange to be overtaken during the race.
On lap 19, there was another peculiar moment where both Di Giannantonio and Marquez seemed to slow down in turn 9, allowing Vinales to take over third place while Marquez dropped to fourth. This season, the front tire pressure limit has been reduced due to frequent violations in the previous year. The penalties for such violations have also been increased compared to 2023, although disqualification has been avoided as initially planned. Other riders, including Quartararo, Fernandez, Miller, and Rins, have also faced penalties for not complying with tire pressure regulations.
