Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) will miss the final round of the 2018 MotoGP™ season after his injuries sustained at the Australian GP haven’t healed enough to allow the British rider to race.
Crutchlow crashed heavily at Turn 1 in FP2 at Phillip Island and as a result, he suffered a bimalleolar fracture and anterior tibia part right ankle fracture. The 33-year-old had emergency surgery in Australia and stayed to have to have a second, with two small plates inserted.
The three-time Grand Prix race winner has since returned home to continue his rehabilitation, but he will unfortunately miss the final round of the season in Valencia. This means his chances of claiming P1 in the Independent Team Championship have now gone, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) one point ahead in the standings.
Now, HRC test rider and Crutchlow’s Malaysian GP replacement Stefan Bradl will again ride for the LCR Honda team.
Cal Crutchlow: "First of all, I would like to say thank you for all the well wishes I have received since the Friday of the Philip Island GP. To all the medical staff at the circuit, my LCR Honda CASTROL Team, HRC and everyone who came to visit me while I was in hospital in Melbourne, especially my wife Lucy who travelled to be with me for the 12 days I had to stay. Also, Jake Harrison and Andy Roche for sorting everything out and, of course, our Team Manager Lucio (Cecchinello) who stayed with me every day until he went to Malaysia.
“I had excellent surgeons in Matthias Russ and Dr Evans who initially put an external fixator on my leg until the swelling went down and they could operate, which was 6 days later. The crash resulted in a Pilon fracture of my tibia, fibia and talus bone. The surgery was completed in three and half hours and, along with reconstruction with artificial bone, two metal plates and eight screws were inserted.
“The injury I have can take a recovery time of up to 12 months and, although as a typical motorcycle racer I thought I would be back in time for the Valencia GP, unfortunately this is not the case. I can’t put any weight on my ankle for six weeks, but I’m continuing to recover and having physiotherapy. This week I will start to try and cycle again and look forward to preparing for Sepang in February 2019.
“I have had a fantastic season again with the LCR Honda CASTROL Team and HRC and I look forward to making more great memories in 2019-2020. Good luck this weekend in Valencia to my team and to all the people on the MotoGP grid. I look forward to watching the best motorsport championship there is as a fan this weekend.”