A Horrible Tragedy for the Sport
A fire broke out in the shared temporary garage where all of the MotoE teams were housing their bikes and equipment. The fire claimed almost all of the bikes and materials for the championships. The cause of the fire that occurred in the newly built paddock in Jerez, Spain, is yet to be determined. There’s an undergoing investigation that will hopefully tell those impacted and the public what happened.
All teams lost not only the bikes but their equipment, tools, rider gear, and more. According to Motorcycle News, the majority of the material was destroyed in the flames. However, Motorcycle News does report that the people in charge of the racing series will “be in a race against time to try and resurrect both machines and infrastructure in time for the first round.”
That means they’re trying to still make the race happen. However, that will likely prove to be tough. There are only six weeks before the race is set to happen. The teams involved have spent countless hours on the bikes and equipment used to race at the highest level. Even if the was a way to get all the equipment and infrastructure back in place in time, it wouldn’t be the same.
On the bright side, no injuries or deaths were reported. That means everyone involved in the sport can still do their best to make the most of a terrible situation. I hope the teams can find a way to race as planned. MotoGP released a statement and will provide updates of the investigation and hopefully have a clear indication as to what started the fire.