The Mandalika circuit has issued a statement to The Race denying Marc Marquez's claims that the use of a wrong type of extinguisher led to his Gresini Ducati MotoGP bike suffering catastrophic fire damage at last weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix.
The six-time MotoGP world champion was chasing after reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia in the group battling for a podium when his bike expired, causing him to pull over to the side of the track just as it burst into flames.
Marquez said in his media scrum afterwards that what should have been a relatively straightforward firefighting mission turned into something that left the team with a substantial repair bill.
“There was a big noise on the bike and also the engine stopped,” Marquez explained. “But when I saw the white smoke, immediately I checked, and yeah...
Marc's GP23 bursting into flames! 🔥😱@marcmarquez93's comeback hopes literally went up in smoke today 💔#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/emvHBXAU3V
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 29, 2024
"It was also a shame because the extinguishers, the ones that they have here are not the correct ones, and the bike was completely damaged.
“Everything. The brakes and everything. It’s a shame for the team because for a private team it’s a big cost.
“One of the things is that the extinguishers have to be the correct ones, the latest-technology ones in every track because otherwise you destroy the bike.”
According to The Race’s sources within the Gresini team, the bike has been deemed a partial write-off, with the full extent of the damage still to be assessed this weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix but the team believing that potentially only the frame will be salvageable from what remains.
However, Marquez’s claims were strongly refuted in a statement issued to The Race by the Mandalika circuit, with circuit director Priandhi Satria adamant that the extinguishers issued to trackside marshals were as specified by governing body FIM and organiser Dorna when they homologated the track.
“The use of fire extinguishers at MotoGP Indonesia at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit is in accordance with the applicable racing regulations," he insisted.
"Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit has met the FIM regulations to conduct MotoGP racing activities and has received Grade A homologation on Thursday, September 29, 2024.”
That was backed up by Eddy Saputra, deputy of motorcycle sports at the Indonesian Motor Association, who says that contact has been made with Marquez’s Gresini team to correct the record.
“If a motorcycle catches fire on the track,” he said in the circuit statement, “the marshals will automatically spray it with powder or foam APAR [extinguishers].
“Therefore, there is nothing wrong with the marshals and Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit.
“In the case of Marquez’s motorcycle catching fire, the race director and safety officer on duty have also contacted the Gresini team to inquire about their complaints and simultaneously explain this procedure.
“They are not a new team in MotoGP, so they must be very familiar with the procedures issued by FIM.
“Marc Marquez, as a rider from the Gresini team, may be very concerned about the financial factors of the team he is under, considering the high costs the team will incur to repair his motorcycle. Accidents are unavoidable.”
Despite losing out on the potential to fight for the podium, Marquez was quick to shrug off the DNF, stressing that he and his team - and the manufacturer that supplies the bikes - win and lose together.
“It’s true that it’s something that’s not in our hands,” he said, “even not in the hands of our team, but it sometimes happens in the races and today it happened to me.
“We can say that we were super unlucky, but with Ducati and my team and me, we win together so we lose together.
“Today we had that problem, but during the weekend the feeling was good so that’s the most important thing.”
