Aleix: “Panic, I couldn’t breathe”, Vinales “began to lose mental clarity”

The heat was so bad that Maverick Vinales (main picture) pulled in and retired after suddenly dropping from tenth to last place with just two laps to go.

"I wasn’t doing badly, but at a certain point I began to lose mental clarity due to the heat,” Vinales explained. “Especially on the straight, when I would lie down on the bike, the sensation of heat was astonishing.

“At a certain point, the best decision was to stop. Continuing to risk did not make sense. Clearly, this is a situation we need to discuss. There will be other races with high temperatures.”

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• Thailand MotoGP: Results
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Team-mate Aleix Espargaro and RNF’s Raul Fernandez were likewise in real trouble by the closing stages of the 26 laps but held on to reach the flag in fifth and 15th respectively (Espargaro later dropped to eighth due to low tyre pressures).

“I couldn't breathe. It was the hardest race of my life,” Espargaro said. “In the last 3 laps, I even started to panic, because I tried to breathe, and I couldn't. So I was super worried.”

“All the heat from the bike - the engine, chassis, everything, goes into the lungs, and we couldn't breathe,” Espargaro added. “Maverick stopped because of this and Raul told me in the middle of the race, he couldn't breathe. So he decided to slow the pace in the last part of the race.”

Air temperatures were 31 degrees on Sunday, combined with 60% humidity.

“Yes, it always happens. Every single year, in the same circuits, for the last four seasons,” Espargaro revealed. “But today, it was really really, really on the limit.

“They [Aprilia] are trying things, but for the moment, nothing is working. We tried like a tube this morning in the warm up, Raul and I, but it's not giving anything.

“I don't know why the bike gives this temperature, it's crazy.

“The last time I rode another bike that was not an Aprilia was 7 years ago, so I don't remember [the heat from other bikes]. But especially, Maverick coming from Yamaha, or Raul coming from KTM, I talked with him, and he told me he received zero heat [problems] last year. So it's very strange.”

Fernandez confirmed: "After 10 or 11 laps, the heat was really bad and the last five laps were not good at all. I was close to stopping the race but for my respect to the team and Aprilia, I continued to get at least a point."

The fourth Aprilia, of Fernandez’s RNF team-mate Miguel Oliveira, retired early in the race due to a technical issue.

The next event, at Sepang in Malaysia, could be as hot if not hotter than Thailand.