Steven Odendaal is set to miss the 2-day Moto3 test which starts today at Losail, as well as the Qatar Grand Prix. South African NTS RW Racing GP rider to undergo foot surgery. The Swiss Jesko Raffin will replace him.
In December, Odendaal fractured his big toe during a training session. While on vacation in Bali, he contracted a foot infection. As the injury was not recovering well, Odendaal went to Barcelona hospital last week, where the MotoGP doctor, Xavier Mir, discovered that the bone had been affected by the infection and that surgery was necessary. Odendaal initially wanted to postpone the operation until after the Qatar Grand Prix, but it was decided yesterday that any further postponement would involve too much risk.
The team manager, Jarno Janssen, therefore asked Jesko Raffin to replace Steven Odendaal. The two know each other well: Raffin made his Moto2 debut for Team Switzerland when Janssen was the team manager. “Jesko is an experienced Moto2 rider. Last year he became European champion, he was a test driver for Kalex and he took part in six Grand Prix, in which he scored ten points in total. We wish Steven a beneficial surgery and hope he recovers soon. “
The 22-year-old Swiss driver travels to Qatar on Friday and will join the NTS RW Racing team for testing on Saturday and Sunday. His future teammate, Will Bendsneyder, will then have already started the three-day test on Friday, a week before the opening race of the 2019 season at the Losail International Circuit.
