Yamaha loses podium in MotoGP due to tire pressure regulations violation
Yamaha lost its first top-three finish of the 2024 MotoGP season due to a violation of tire pressure regulations after the Portimão race. Fabio Quartararo, who started 23rd on the grid, crossed the finish line in third place after a chaotic 12-lap race that saw 15 riders crash. However, Quartararo received an eight-second penalty, resulting in Dani Pedrosa, KTM’s test rider, being promoted to the podium. The penalty only affected Quartararo’s position relative to Pedrosa and Franco Morbidelli, his former teammate at Yamaha.
This season, the front tire pressure limit was reduced due to frequent violations in the 2023 campaign. Penalties for such violations were significantly increased compared to the previous year, although disqualification was avoided. Pedrosa admitted he was not aware of his position in the race while battling with Quartararo, which led him to take fewer risks. He believed they were fighting for sixth or seventh place, not third or fourth. Despite missing out on the podium by just 0.050s, Pedrosa was pleased with his performance, considering he started in 16th place.
It is important to note that podiums in sprint races do not count towards the total MotoGP podiums. Therefore, Pedrosa now has a podium in the sprint race, in addition to his impressive record of 112 podiums in the premier class.
