Photo credit: www.autosport.com
Rain Disrupts MotoGP Race, Leading to Unprecedented Chaos
Just half an hour prior to the commencement of the highly anticipated MotoGP race, light rain began to fall, prompting race officials to announce a flag-to-flag race format. This decision turned the event into a scene of confusion and disarray.
The turmoil began with the sudden onset of rain, which resulted in a crash involving rider Fabio Quartararo during the formation lap as he headed to the grid. Once the riders assembled on the grid, they were prepared for wet conditions, and it was widely anticipated that the race would be officially classified as wet, triggering the flag-to-flag protocol.
In response to challenges faced during last year’s rain-impacted race in Japan, a new regulation had been implemented stipulating that if more than ten riders departed the grid before the warm-up lap, a red flag would be displayed, followed by a quick restart procedure lasting ten minutes.
Marc Marquez was the first competitor to react decisively, abandoning his wet-condition motorcycle on the grid to dash to the pit box for a change to his dry-condition bike. This move led to a mass exodus from the grid, with other riders uncertain whether they should follow suit or leave their bikes behind, amplifying the chaos on the track.
In light of the confusion, race officials took action by instructing riders to return to their original positions and retrieve their bikes, displaying a red flag to signal the reset of the grid for a standing start.
Ultimately, as the rain subsided before the scheduled start of the race, all riders opted for their dry-condition machines equipped with slick tires. The race, now declared a flag-to-flag event, was consequently shortened to 19 laps, one lap fewer than originally planned.
As the MotoGP season unfolds, this incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of motorsport and the challenges posed by changing weather conditions on race day.
Source
www.autosport.com