MotoGP: from Lorenzo to Quartararo, seven injured people lick their wounds

The summer break allows MotoGP riders to recover from nine intense races to which must be added two days of official testing in Jerez and Barcelona. Some simply recharge their batteries, but others completely restore their health. Rather than vacation, we should talk about convalescence. There are seven declared to have to get back on their feet. Here is the list…

Physically and morally, this break in the season is welcome for Grand Prix drivers. Especially for those who got there on their knees. At mid-season, the MotoGP infirmary is very full. The proof.

The first in the list is a Jorge Lorenzo who must recover from spinal fractures. A real black streak for the now official Honda whose end of period with Ducati had been a test for his body, while the off-season had already been marked by injuries. He entered the first Grand Prix in Qatar with an injured wrist, then suffered a rib fracture. During the Barcelona test, he crashed at high speed and injured his upper body. A little over a week later, Lorenzo crashed at Assen and broke two vertebrae. He was forced to withdraw from the Dutch TT and the German Grand Prix. A strong comeback is hoped for the Czech Grand Prix on the first weekend of August. But it is also possible that Lorenzo Missing Brno and the next deadline in Spielberg.

Takaaki Nakagami as for him, he suffers from his ankle. The Japanese from the LCR Honda team delivered a heroic performance at the Sachsenring. In the previous Assen race, Valentino Rossi had made him fall at high speed. From, Nakagami experienced severe pain in his ankle, where some ligaments were damaged and he can only walk with crutches. Nonetheless, he was back on his Honda RC213V five days after the Assen crash for the first practice sessions in Germany and struggled throughout the weekend. His self-sacrifice was rewarded with two points from the German Grand Prix.

Cal Crutchlow regrets a fracture of the tibia and tear of the cruciate ligament. It will be recalled that the Englishman had to take a long break following an injury, following a heavy fall at Phillip Island which left him with a broken ankle. In the break between Assen and the Sachsenring, he injured his knee while…adjusting the saddle of his bike! Diagnosis: Fracture of the tibia and tear of the cruciate ligament. The departure of Crutchlow at the Sachsenring was questionable, but as is often the case, the Honda driver showed that he could surpass himself while injured by taking third place in the race.

Pol Espargaro suffers from a wrist injury. The leader of the KTM troops carried out the MotoGP tests in Barcelona. But he fell there and injured his wrist. Although examinations revealed no fracture, significant accumulations of fluid in the area of ​​the injury resulted, causing the pilot to suffer intense pain. He even bought a machine with his own money that alternately cools the wound and applies pressure to speed up healing. It is in this state that Pol Espargaro got 11th place at Assen then finished 12th at Sachsenring.

fabio quartararo had surgery for compartment syndrome and also suffers from a shoulder problem. The revelation of the year was initially not injured in the classic sense of the term, but nevertheless ended up on the operating table. Like many MotoGP riders before him, he had to deal with compartment syndrome. After the first six meetings of the season he underwent surgery before the Barcelona weekend. A routine intervention which did not prevent him from taking his first MotoGP podium on the Catalunya circuit with a second position. Two weeks later he was third at Assen. In Germany, he injured his shoulder following a sudden movement of his Yamaha during FP4.

Aleix Espargaró must deal with multiple leg injuries. A doubly unfortunate situation. Firstly because it revealed itself during its home race in Barcelona. I will espargaro grew up a few kilometers from the circuit. Next up is the Aprilia test rider, Bradley Smith, who is responsible. Diagnosis: Micro-fracture to the left thigh and slight injuries to the ligament and tibia on the left side. AlthoughI will espargaro was able to participate in all the racing weekends that followed, his injured leg has been causing him problems ever since.

Danilo Petrucci ends the list with a hand ligament injury. He crashed during Q2 of the German Grand Prix in the very fast turn 9 of the Sachsenring. An accident from which he recovered with ligament injuries in his left hand and his right wrist was also affected.