Remarkably, the actual manner of the restart seemed to prove more controversial than the fact itself of racing on a deteriorating surface.
The information about the reduced race distance came minutes before the start, with no delay to allow teams to react. Many will have presumably entertained a switch from the medium rear to the faster but less durable soft rear - and, indeed, KTM rider Pedro Acosta confirmed it was a choice he'd made with knowledge of the new race distance.
Alex Marquez didn't switch but too admitted he'd known early enough, saying: "I think it would have been better to do a ‘start delayed’ and then everyone would be able to prepare in the same time or change the tyres."
"Maybe the guys at the front of the grid got the information a bit earlier. But when I was lining up on the last row, we were the last ones to hear it. By the time we got it, there's no time to change," mused Binder.
His KTM stablemate Bastianini was much more irritated.
"It was a s**t. It was a s**t. Because, in a world championship - it's a big mistake. The message to the teams arrived at the end during the last minute. We had no time to change the tyres.
"The team told me 'we don't have time to change' - but the other riders in front of me, they changed the tyre!
"The good choice was to wait five minutes, to wait for the situation to be clear to all the riders.
"I saw many [organisational] issues during that weekend like this, and, well, I think nothing changes. We talk but nothing changes.”