Johann Zarco shared his story from Malaysia, where he recounted his attempt to catch a qualifying tow behind Pedro Acosta.

Zarco tried to trail the rookie out of the pits, hoping for a small advantage. However, Acosta, focused on catching his own tow, accelerated down the pit lane at an unusually quick pace.

“After my first tire run, I couldn’t find much more speed on my own, so I wanted to follow someone,” Zarco explained.

“But I couldn’t catch Pedro—he sped off in the pit lane.”

Zarco joked that Acosta might have turned off his pit limiter. “He’s done it twice now—once in Australia and now here.

"He knows the fine is 1,500 euros, so when he needs a tow, he just goes for it! That’s MotoGP style—when you start making more money!” Zarco laughed.

Despite this, Zarco still topped the Q1 session, while Acosta missed out on a Q2 spot, finishing third in Q1. This "pay-to-tow" tactic is within the rules and only costs a 1,500-euro fine for exceeding the pit lane speed limit—so long as the rider isn’t at a dangerously high speed.

However, multiple rule violations during a single event mean higher fines each time, and a rider with three offenses in one event may face additional penalties. Extreme speeding and repeat violations throughout the season could also lead to harsher sanctions, as it may be viewed as disrespect for FIM Stewards.

Simon Crafar, who is set to become Chairman of the FIM MotoGP Stewards, hinted that the fine structure for pit lane speeding may be updated next year, though he clarified that it isn’t his decision.

For now, many riders and teams seem willing to pay the 1,500-euro fee for a competitive edge.