Marc Marquez believes he was penalised for a "perfect move" on Pedro Acosta in MotoGP's season-opening Thai Grand Prix sprint.

A last-corner divebomb from Marquez on the penultimate lap of the contest looked to have secured him the win, with Acosta dropping way back, but Marquez was then ordered by the stewards to drop down to second and only had the time to do it in the final corner, effectively forfeiting the win.

• Our verdict on the penalty

While his Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi described the move as "unfair", Marquez himself was reluctant to openly criticise the decision of the stewarding panel headed up by sometime 500cc winner Simon Crafar.

However, his description of the overtake - and belief that it was analogous to prior Acosta moves at the same corner that Marquez himself says he chose to contest in a different way - left little doubt that he feels hard done by.

THE DIVEBOMBS OF ALL DIVEBOMBS :bomb:@marcmarquez93 sends @37_pedroacosta VERY wide :scream:#ThaiGP :flag-th: pic.twitter.com/ZeiNaHzPUI

"The strategy was perfect," he claimed. "The block pass was in the best way possible. Before the apex of the corner I was already in front, half a bike in front of him. And I respected the outside, I was not even on the kerb on the exit of the corner. For me it was a perfect move.

"It's like when he overtook me in that corner. I was listening to his bike, then I slowed down and prepared the exit. [Otherwise] I would be out [of the track like Acosta was]. But we need to adapt to the new rules. 

"I never cry [about the rules] and I will never cry. Just I will adapt my riding style to what the bike needs and the championship needs."

Marquez did, however, argue that the penalty decision came either too early or too late - which seems to have been the impetus towards his sarcastic slow clap at the end of the cooldown lap.

"That penalty... it's the new MotoGP. Just what I'm asking for, and that's why I was angry - if you want to be strict with the rules, if you want to have a lot of penalties, do it but do it well. 

"Why do you take one minute and a half to give me the message? Give me [the penalty] on exit of Turn 3 if it's clear. Or wait and review at the end of the race.”

Race winner Acosta said in his parc ferme interview after the race that "maybe I don't really feel like a winner because he let me pass". 

But he didn't necessarily suggest that he disagreed with the penalty. 

"At the end, it is what it is. Accept or not accept, it is what it is. Even if they didn't penalise Marc I would've been happy with the race that I did," said Acosta. "Because for how much I was suffering here last year, and now to be able to battle with him, it's quite nice."

He said he was surprised by the penalty but disputed Ducati boss Tardozzi's claim that there had been no contact.

However, he was also clear he would've tried the same move. 

"It's what makes MotoGP this exciting. At the end you remember this kind of battles and this kind of moments.

"Super fun. My best battle so far in the championship."