Pedro Acosta has become the first MotoGP rider to be fined under new and stricter rules introduced to make qualifying sessions safer and fairer.

Acosta was given a €2,000 fine after breaking the new rule during Saturday’s qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang.

According to race officials, Acosta crashed at Turn 1 during Qualifying 2, but restarted his bike and continued riding with less than three minutes remaining in the session. The rule clearly says that riders who fall during the final three minutes are not allowed to restart, in order to avoid yellow flag delays that can affect other riders’ flying laps.

In the official statement, MotoGP stewards said:

“On 25 October 2025 at 11:27:15 during the Qualifying 2 of the PETRONAS GRAND PRIX OF MALAYSIA, after a crash at Turn 1, within the final three minutes of the session, you restarted the bike and continued. This directly contravenes the specific instructions given to MotoGP competitors and teams during a briefing on 23 October 2025.”

The rule change was introduced after complaints earlier in the season that riders rejoining after crashes were causing long yellow flag periods, cancelling the laps of others who happened to pass through the affected area. One example was Alex Rins at the Indonesian Grand Prix, when his attempt to rejoin led to several riders losing their final qualifying laps.

Although Acosta’s fine hasn’t affected his grid position, it makes him the first rider to be officially punished under the new rules.

Speaking afterwards MotoGP.com interview, Acosta admitted the situation was tricky: “I understand both sides,” he said. “But when you crash, you don’t look at the dash to see if there are less than three minutes left! And if the marshals are helping you push the bike, you don’t just tell them to stop.”

The new rules also affected other riders. Fermín Aldeguer, for example, was not allowed to rejoin after a late crash in Qualifying 1. He returned to the pits, only to crash again near the Gresini garage entrance. Later, Aldeguer was handed another penalty for low tyre pressure in the Sprint race, dropping him to seventh place.

MotoGP officials say the restart restrictions are part of ongoing efforts to improve fairness and safety in qualifying. The rule aims to prevent riders from gaining any advantage by staying out longer under yellow flag conditions, while also protecting those on fast laps from being unfairly penalised.