Cal Crutchlow will miss the 2018 MotoGP season finale at Valencia with Stefan Bradl to continue with LCR Honda in the weekend.
Crutchlow crashed out during Australia GP weekend in the FP2 session and sustained a bimalleolar fracture and anterior tibia part right ankle fracture. The 33-year-old underwent an emergency surgery in Australia with two small plates inserted.
The British rider missed the race at Phillip Island and also the following Malaysian GP at Sepang International Circuit, where he was replaced by Honda’s test rider Bradl alongside regular Takaaki Nakagami.
Crutchlow has returned home for his rehabilitation process but he will not be ready for this weekend’s Valencia GP – the final race of the 2018 MotoGP season as LCR Honda has announced that Bradl will continue to ride the Honda RC213V 2018.
The German finished 13th in Malaysia to score his first points of the season in his fourth appearance. With Crutchlow missing the final round, it means that Tech 3 Yamaha’s Johann Zarco is the front-runner to win the Independent riders’ title for the 2018 season.
The Frenchman took a point lead in Malaysia from Crutchlow with only Pramac Racing Ducati’s Danilo Petrruci his main threat as the Italian sits just five points adrift of the Frenchman in the standings heading into Valencia.
Elsewhere, it is more or less certain that Jorge Lorenzo will make his return abode the Ducati Desmosedici GP18 for one final time before he moves to Honda in the post-2018 two-day test at the same venue.
While it is not confirmed yet but Avintia Racing Ducati could field a replacement rider to Jordi Torres, who injured his hand in Malaysia. Tito Rabat aimed to return in Valencia but has already ruled himself out of the grand prix.
