Ai Ogura was forced to stop his Aprilia at Turn 1 during MotoGP Practice at Motegi after a thick plume of smoke began pouring from the bottom of his bike.
The incident immediately caught attention as smoke continued to emerge from underneath the Aprilia's belly pan, with Ogura eventually pulling off to the side of the track.
“That is not a good sight at all, is it? I mean, look at that smoke pouring out from under the belly pan,” the commentary noted as the incident unfolded.
The smoke was clearly visible from the Aprilia as Ogura brought the bike to a halt. However, the available material does not establish that the bike caught fire, nor does it identify the technical cause of the smoke.
Race Direction subsequently brought out the red flag, with officials wanting to inspect the circuit after Ogura's Aprilia stopped.
The main concern was whether the bike had left any fluids on the racing surface. Race Direction therefore opted to neutralise the session while the track was checked.
“The red flag has come out because understandably Race Direction want a very good look at the racetrack to make sure no fluids have been spilled,” the commentary explained.
Ogura's session was therefore brought to an early halt, while the exact reason behind the smoke from his Aprilia remained unclear from the available information.
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