Fermín Aldeguer has been stripped of his third-place finish in the Sepang sprint race in Malaysia after being handed an 8-second penalty by MotoGP stewards.
The penalty for the Spanish Gresini Ducati rider was issued due to excessively low pressure in his front tire. Following the sanction, Aldeguer drops four positions to eighth place, consequently losing four championship points. Despite this setback, the Spaniard retains his Rookie of the Year title, as his lead over closest rival Ai Ogura remains insurmountable.
Benefiting from Aldeguer's penalty are Pedro Acosta, Franco Morbidelli, Fabio Quartararo, and Marco Bezzecchi, each moving up one position. The additional point gained by Bezzecchi means that ahead of tomorrow's Malaysian Grand Prix, he and Francesco Bagnaia are now tied in the battle for third place in the overall standings. However, the factory Ducati rider holds the advantage, having secured one more victory in Sunday races.