Injured Espargaro to Brave German MotoGP with Fractured Hand, Vinales Eyes Redemption at Sachsenring

Aleix Espargaro "not fully recovered, but eager to compete"

Aleix Espargaro, despite his injuries, is set to participate in the upcoming German MotoGP this weekend.

Aleix Espargaro plans to head to the German MotoGP at the eleventh hour to extend treatment on his broken right hand.

The prominent Aprilia racer, who is set to retire after this season and was recently announced to be taking up a test riding position with Honda in 2025, sustained a break in the fifth metacarpal of his right hand following a severe Sprint crash at Assen on Saturday.

"Espargaro mentioned that his hand is still not in good shape; it's a particularly complex injury since it impacts the hand that operates the throttle," he explained, also noting that he had a significant fall during Friday's practice session.

"My mobility is restricted and it causes me significant pain, but I'm willing to make an effort."

"I plan to keep up with my treatment until Thursday, after which I'll head over to the Sachsenring right before the start, aiming to participate in Friday's first free practice session."

Espargaro has been officially cleared to participate in Sunday's warm-up, indicating that he is likely to be medically approved to compete this weekend without any complications.

Currently, Aprilia finds itself without its usual stand-in for Espargaro, as test rider Lorenzo Savadori, who was competing as a wild-card entry on Saturday at the Dutch Grand Prix, is also sidelined due to an injury.

In the meantime, Maverick Vinales built on his podium finish in the Assen Sprint by securing a fifth-place position in the race on Sunday.

The Spanish rider was in contention for his inaugural podium finish on the RS-GP at the Sachsenring circuit in 2022 when his ride-height mechanism malfunctioned, leading to his withdrawal from the race.

He then experienced a breakdown of his engine during the previous year's German Grand Prix, with further examination showing it had been experiencing issues throughout the entire weekend.

"Although Sachsenring isn't a track I particularly favor, I believe we have the potential to perform well," Vinales expressed in anticipation of the upcoming weekend.

"I've secured multiple top-three finishes and first-place starts in Germany; I'm bringing the momentum from Assen, feeling inspired and resolved to perform strongly ahead of the summer break."

Pedro Acosta's crash on the final lap at Assen has resulted in Vinales extending his lead to 17 points over the KTM newcomer, positioning him as the frontrunner for fifth place in the world championship and the highest-ranked rider not on a Ducati.

Next season, Vinales is set to become part of the Tech3 team, where Acosta is currently racing, as Aprilia plans to introduce a completely new factory team consisting of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Current Headlines

Navigation

CrashDotNet

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Reproducing the text, photos, or illustrations partially or entirely is strictly prohibited in any manner.