There were terrifying scenes on Lap 11 of the Grand Prix of Catalonia when Acosta’s bike suffered an electrical issue and suddenly slowed between Turn 9 and 10.
Just as he went to raise his hand to let the trailing riders know that he was slowing, Alex Marquez rear-ended Acosta at high speed.
The Gresini rider careened off the track before he and his bike went tumbling through the grass and gravel.
With debris strewn across the track, the race was red-flagged. After a lengthy cleanup, a 13-lap sprint was set up.
On the subsequent restart, LCR rider Johann Zarco triggered a crash when he fell at Turn 1 and took factory Honda rider Luca Marini and Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia down with him.
That crash also brought out the red flag with Zarco splayed out in the gravel with his legs tangled between the rear wheel and rear seat of Bagnaia’s bike.
Once again, the race was restarted – this time for a 12-lap sprint.
Marquez suffered a broken neck and broken collarbone in his crash while Zarco suffered leg injuries.
After both red flags, Acosta restarted from pole position.
He led the lion’s share of the contest until two laps to go when VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio passed the factory KTM rider.
Acosta faded to fourth before being hit by Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura on the final corner on the final lap.
Replays of the second Red Flag crash 🚩
All riders conscious 🙌#MotoGP | #CatalanGP | Live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/1KQt78sk8j
— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) May 17, 2026
Speaking post-race with TNT Sports, a downcast Acosta said the races should not have been restarted.
“It’s never easy to come back again after a not nice situation like we live today after a really big crash from Alex,” said Acosta.
“Also, I think it is not really necessary after two crashes or two red flags to go again for a third try, let’s say. I think these things are not really necessary.
“At the end of the day, the show is important but we are the ones that make the show for this. Not so nice to make three races today.
“Even being a guy with experience in Moto3 and Moto2 that are more or less my age, it is never nice to see that on TV and be involved around for this.
“Like I say, it’s not necessary to have a third try of something that can go really bad.
“So it’s important, but at the end of the day we are the ones that are making the show.”
Aprilia rider Jorge Martin, who won the 2024 premier class title with Pramac, echoed Acosta’s sentiment that the race had become redundant.
“I think anyway that we have to think a bit about the human side,” he said.
“At some point it was for me unnecessary to continue doing the grand prix.
“But, the show must go on, and we don’t decide.
“For sure, seeing the ambulances on the track seeing that people are fighting for their lives and still racing I think is not necessary.
“It’s nothing I can decide.”
Acosta said he did not want to talk about the race in light of the crashes for Marquez and Zarco.
He did, however, offer some explanation of the first incident from his point of view.
“The race, everything that could go wrong, go wrong,” said Acosta.
“Today it looks like I have an electric problem on the straight. I went from full throttle to not having any throttle in the hand. Everything went really bad.
“I think it’s not so necessary to talk today about the race.”
MotoGP continues on May 29-31 at Mugello for the Grand Prix of Italy.
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