More true fans, less tribalism: this time Misano boos no one. And about that middle finger

Post-GP fair play between Alex Marquez and Acosta, and no boos for Marc Marquez. At Misano we saw the good side of motorcycling.

"Sorry, I lost my head there." A few simple words from Alex Marquez to Pedro Acosta just before stepping onto the podium, as they were rewatching footage from the recently concluded Misano GP. The Gresini rider had made a rude gesture toward the KTM rider after an overtake—an impulsive reaction (the middle finger) for which he promptly apologized to his colleague once the race was over. A very clear message: rivalry is only on track; off it, fair play and respect must remain. The same was shown by the many fans: unlike previous events, there were no boos for the podium trio.

After Bezzecchi’s mistake, the race had Marc Marquez in the lead, but just behind there was a fight for the remaining podium spots. In the hectic opening laps of the GP, Alex Marquez flashed the middle finger at Pedro Acosta right after the KTM rider overtook him. An attack the Gresini man deemed hard and aggressive, but there were no complaints about it—quite the opposite. The only point addressed was his hot-headed reaction: without waiting for interviews or statements, at the first opportunity he apologized to his fellow countryman. "No, no, don’t worry about it," Acosta replied, but the younger Marquez insisted. "I shouldn’t have done it." "What? Did you touch?" then asked Marc Marquez, also standing in front of the TV. "No, but I made a gesture I shouldn’t have," answered Alex Marquez, again apologizing to the KTM rider.

"But what did you do?" Marc pressed. "I almost ran into him at Turn 10," Alex added, pointing to Acosta’s overtake on the screen. "I got heated, a bit too much." "Don’t worry," Acosta replied, also explaining that "I came in too hot at Turn 10 and the front locked up. Either I braked and went through or I ran wide." "I didn’t expect it, and for two laps I didn’t know how to pass him," added Alex Marquez, thus closing the discussion on that incident. What remains is a page of fair play and sportsmanship—something that should be the norm in any sport. Another related note is that, thankfully, there were no boos aimed at Marc Marquez and, in general, the Spanish trio on the podium—an encouraging sign. Perhaps real fans are on the rise, leaving partisanship aside? That’s the hope.

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