Fire hits Lorenzo, Rossi Austin build-up

AUSTIN (AFP) –

Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi of Italy in the Qatari capital Doha on April 6, 2013. World champion Jorge Lorenzo and seven-time champion Rossi endured a dramatic start to the Grand Prix of the Americas weekend when a fire broke out in their Yamaha garage.

World champion Jorge Lorenzo and seven-time champion Valentino Rossi endured a dramatic start to the Grand Prix of the Americas weekend when a fire broke out in their Yamaha garage.

The fire took place in the early hours of Thursday and resulted in the MotoGP machines and the team’s equipment being heavily doused in water and fire retardant materials from the emergency sprinkler system.

“The first impression we had when we arrived was really bad but fortunately it doesn’t look as bad as we initially thought,” said team director Massimo Meregalli.

There were no injuries from the fire which occurred in the next door Tech3 building.

Meregalli said all their bikes would have to be taken apart for drying, cleaning and then re-assembled again.

“For sure it could have been a lot worse,” he said

Lorenzo won the season-opener in Qatar two weeks ago.