'Unacceptable': MotoGP weekend rocked by sinkholes as Brazil track falls apart
The MotoGP weekend in Brazil descended into chaos as a disintegrating track surface forced officials to truncate the grand prix after a sinkhole emerged.
Riders and teams were notified of the shortened race distance just minutes before the lights went out on Monday.
The decision followed emergency inspections of turn 11 and 12, where the asphalt and track had begun to fall apart following recent repeat flooding in the Goiania region, where Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna is located.
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Saturday's sprint was also delayed by over an hour after a two-metre sinkhole appeared on the final straight coming out of the final corner.
The sinkhole stopped track running in Brazil. Twitter
Multiple riders told media post-race they were relentlessly pelted with pieces of asphalt off the track surface during the grand prix.
Australian rider Jack Miller was one of them.
The Yamaha driver was vocal about the havoc caused by the track deterioration, admitting he "copped all the rocks" from riders ahead.
"F--kin' getting roostered the whole time!" the Yamaha rider said after his early retirement in the Monday morning race.
"I was dead last so I was copping all the rocks. Yeah. It was a lot of asphalt coming out."
Miller's 200th MotoGP race ended prematurely after crashing out at the first corner on lap two while running in 20th.
Other riders revealed that they were sporting minor wounds from parts of the track hitting them at breakneck speed.
"Quite unacceptable the conditions that we have today, honestly speaking," said Alex Marquez, who had marks all over his arm.
"When there were riders in front of you, they'd kick up stones.
Alex Marquez showed media the injuries he sustained while riding in Brazil. DAZN
"It felt more like motocross than a speed race. Otherwise, it didn't go badly."
Enea Bastianini took a painful hit to the shoulder, Joan Mir had "a big one" (stone) to the knee and Yamaha rider Alex Rins ending up with a considerably swollen index finger on his right hand.
"When I was behind all the bikes, it was looking like a little stone festival there. Just stones shooting out all over the place," said KTM's Brad Binder.
The track is Brazil was visibly deteriorating during the weekend. The Race
It's been 22 years since MotoGP raced in Brazil at the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiania.
Track officials admitted that repeat flooding was the main contributor to the breakdown of the asphalt and the sinkhole emerging at the track.
The third round of the MotoGP season will take place at the Circuit of the Americas from March 27-29.
