The smoky issue on Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati in the Japanese Grand Prix has sparked concern among MotoGP manufacturers, who are now calling for clear guidelines on how such cases should be handled.
Bagnaia’s extraordinary performance from pole position at Motegi on 4 October took a dramatic turn when, with five laps to go, the Italian’s Desmosedici began releasing smoke that grew thicker as the race went by.
According to the regulations, any mechanical or technical issue that could endanger the rider or others on track should prompt the race director to display the black flag with the orange circle to the rider involved, who must retire immediately. If the rider wishes to return to the track, their bike must first be inspected by a marshal.
That Sunday in Motegi, the championship’s technical director Danny Aldridge went straight to the Ducati garage to ask its general manager Gigi Dall’Igna what was happening with Bagnaia’s bike. After Dall’Igna’s explanation, both Aldridge and race director Simon Crafar accepted the reasoning given and allowed Bagnaia to continue racing — and he ultimately clinched his second win of the season.
According to information obtained by Motorsport.com, several manufacturers immediately demanded an explanation as to why the usual protocol had not been applied.
In fact, just two weeks prior, a nearly identical situation had occurred—and in that case, the rule was enforced. During Practice at the Austrian Grand Prix, Jack Miller’s Yamaha began to emit smoke.
The Australian took several corners to move off the racing line, since the engine of his M1 hadn’t stopped and no warning message had appeared on his dashboard. That brief delay resulted in a penalty that left Miller sitting in the garage for ten minutes at the start of Saturday morning’s second free practice session.
It is precisely because of the discrepancy between these two situations that the manufacturers are requesting a clearly written protocol to be followed in all circumstances.
What happened to Bagnaia’s Ducati?
“All MotoGP bikes, as they run, generate an excess of oil,” a MotoGP team manager explained to Motorsport.com. “Each manufacturer has its own system to manage that surplus. Supposedly, the smoke from Pecco’s bike came from excess oil being burned by the heat of the exhaust pipe, in a theoretically controlled process,” the source added.
That is why Bagnaia was not forced to retire when the smoke appeared — officials accepted Ducati’s technical explanation at face value.
However, one of the other factories that expressed concern over the matter doesn’t fully agree that the situation posed no risk.
“The smoke coming from a bike settles on the asphalt. If it happens for just a few meters, it’s no problem. But if it continues for three, four, or five laps, as that smoke cools it turns into oil — and that is indeed a danger for the others,” they pointed out.
What are the manufacturers asking for?
“The questions we have are: What will happen next time? Does the word of a team principal prevail, or should the rulebook be applied? We need a clear protocol that is always enforced in the same way,” the same source added.
Motorsport.com understands that the manufacturers were not pleased to see the IRTA Technical Director go to Ducati to speak directly with Dall’Igna — and that the conversation was even shown on television.
“It didn’t give a good impression. That’s why we’ve also requested the implementation of a radio channel connecting all the teams with the Race Director and the championship’s sporting and technical director, so that any problems that arise on the track can be discussed immediately and internally,» the source added.
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