Raul Fernández will not participate in the Australian Grand Prix, which will take place at Phillip Island, after complications with his injuries. This withdrawal adds to an ever-growing list of riders who will not be present in the race, leaving the MotoGP grid with only 18 of the 22 possible riders for Sunday’s competition.
Among the absentees are both riders from the factory team Honda HRC. Joan Mir did not travel to Australia due to an illness that has kept him out of competition throughout the Asian phase of the season, while Luca Marini’s withdrawal was confirmed on Saturday morning due to a virus that only allowed him to make two laps during the first training session on Friday.
One of the most significant losses occurred during the sprint race, when Jorge Martin, who led the championship until Saturday, fell while battling Marc Márquez. The consequences were serious: the Spaniard fractured the radius of his right hand and a distal ulna fracture is also suspected. He will now have to return to Spain to assess the severity of his injuries and determine if surgery is needed, at a crucial moment of the season.
Martin was declared unfit, and he will not be the only Aprilia rider missing Sunday’s race. His teammate, Fernández, from Trackhouse Racing, will also miss this Grand Prix. After suffering fractures to two fingers during the prior race in Indonesia, his situation has worsened. Fernández tried to manage his pain during Friday’s practices, but a fall during the opening session aggravated his injuries.
With increasing pain and the challenges of the Australian circuit, Fernández was forced to withdraw from the sprint race before finishing. He has been declared unfit to receive authorization from the Medical Director of MotoGP, Dr. Angel Charte, to participate in the Grand Prix on Sunday, according to the American team.
His situation will need to be reevaluated before the next round at the Malaysian Grand Prix, where he is expected to undergo a medical assessment on Thursday to determine if he can compete at Sepang.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
