A fire has engulfed one of Alex Rins' Suzuki GSX-RR MotoGP bikes on Thursday during preparations for this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, destroying much of the machine.
The Suzuki bike burst into flames as team members completed a start-up on Thursday afternoon. It's believed the cause of the fire was fuel overflow spraying onto the bikes hot exhaust.
Team members and marshals quickly extinguished the flames, but not before severe damage had been caused, with much of the bike likely irreparable.
The incident shouldn't have a major impact on Rins' weekend, although his Suzuki mechanics will have a long job ahead to rebuild a new bike in time for Friday's practice sessions.
There's no word yet on the condition of the engine, though the Spaniard has a ninth unused power unit available, and with just two races remaining, it would make sense for this unit to be installed as a precaution.
Photo © Twitter – @denkmit
