ZCZC
BSP-09
MOTO-PRIX-THA-QUALIFYING
Heavy rains delay Thailand MotoGP on qualifying day
BURIRAM, Thailand, Oct 5, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A seasonal downpour soaked the
track at Thailand’s MotoGP Saturday, delaying qualifying day as drivers
waited for rains to subside.
Workers in ponchos swept water off the circuit as a safety car did test
laps.
The session was “delayed due to weather conditions”, MotoGP said on its
official Twitter account.
The race is being hosted for the second year in a row in the small
northeastern Thai town of Buriram, which has boomed on the back of multi-
million-dollar investment in sports infrastructure.
Clear skies prevailed throughout the inaugural event last year on the $60
million, Hermann Tilke-designed Chang International Circuit, which is Formula
1 grade.
But the race is going ahead towards the tail end of the monsoon season, and
rain and humidity are expected.
On a balmy Friday practice session Spaniard Marc Marquez had what he called
a “nightmare” crash but was back on the track in the afternoon.
Marquez has a comfortable lead and is looking to secure his sixth MotoGP
title in Buriram.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0926 hrs