Tito Rabat heads to the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend determined to race despite fracturing the radius in his left arm while training.
Tito Rabat heads to Motegi determined to race in the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, despite fracturing the radius in his left arm in a training crash at Almeria on Monday.
Rabat sustained the injury after a technical failure caused him to crash heavily at the Almeria chicane. The reigning World Champion was initially treated at the track by circuit medical staff, before being transported to the Clinica Mediterráneo in Almeria.
Doctors at the hospital operated to stabilise the fracture with a metal plate, after consulting with Doctor Angel Charte in Barcelona. The surgery was a success and Rabat now heads to Japan determined to race this weekend, although his participation will only be confirmed once he’s undergone a medical examination on arrival in Motegi.
Tito Rabat:
“The bike cut out in the chicane and I went down quite hard. I’m not sure yet what caused the crash, as I haven’t had a chance to check the bike. Once again the marshals and medical staff at Almeria did a fantastic job of taking care of me. They immobilised my left arm at the track and I was in hospital less than an hour after the crash. The doctors in Almeria spoke to my doctors in Barcelona and we decided that surgery to stabilise the fracture was the best option. The surgery last night was a success and this morning I am more confident than ever that I will be able to race this weekend in Japan with few issues.”
Michael Bartholemy:
“With three races in as many weekends ahead of us, Tito’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. The fracture may only be minor, but he will have no time to recover fully until we return to Europe at the end of this month. It will be a tough three weeks for him but, as he showed in Sachsenring earlier in the season, he’s no stranger to riding injured and it doesn’t impact massively on his performance. What is clear is that we need to review Tito’s training methods. It’s important for a rider to train, but we need to minimise risk as much as possible in future.”
MotoGP.com Press Release