Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) suffered a tough crash in the Catalan GP, with the Frenchman tangling with Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati Lenovo Team machine in the gravel in the incident.
After updates from the LCR team confirmed he had no major fractures, Zarco himself has also taken to Instagram to give fans an update.
"We're still waiting the results of the tests,” says Zarco. “I have a neck brace, but it is irritating me more than anything. It's mainly my knee; the ligaments, but my femur isn't broken. I have a small fracture at the bottom of my fibula, outside of my left ankle. I'll keep you updated, but I just wanted to reassure you. More scared than hurt, let's say. I'll be sleeping tonight at the hospital as they want to keep me under observation, and then we'll see."
The LCR team then confirmed on Monday afternoon that he had been discharged from hospital and would continue his recovery at home in France, where he'll work with knee specialist Dr. Bertrand Sonnery-Cotte in Lyon from Tuesday. After that, there'll be a plan put in place to determine the next steps of his recovery.
A further update was issued on Tuesday afternoon by the team, saying: "On Tuesday 19th May, Johann Zarco visited doctor Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet in Lyon, a world-renowned consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Centre Orthopedique Santy in Lyon, France, specialising in the management of knee ligament injuries and sports trauma, to further assess his physical condition.
Following a thorough examination, it is estimated that he will need to wait a couple of weeks before undergoing surgery for the damage to his ligaments, allowing the initial trauma and other injuries to his knee some time to heal before the procedure. Following the surgery, a detailed recovery plan will be established, allowing the medical team to evaluate a possible timeline for his return.
The whole Castrol Honda LCR team is in close contact with Johann Zarco and will continue to provide updates as the date gets closer.
Speaking during Monday's test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, team principal Lucio Cecchinello said: "It's incredible because since yesterday he keeps saying 'I want to see images from the start. I don't know exactly what happened but I'm sure I arrived to the braking with a bit more speed. Maybe I should've braked earlier' and this and that. He keeps saying these things, which means that he's very sad about what happened, both for him and for the riders. He's already in a good mindset saying, 'OK, it happened, now I want to do the best I can to recover and to return as soon as possible'.
When asked about a time frame for the #5's return to action, Cecchinello responded: "At the moment, I can say that Mugello and Hungary are basically impossible. Miracles can always happen but I don't see Johann Zarco being back on track in the next two races. We will know more tomorrow afternoon when the specialist tells us the outcome."
We're waiting for you, Johann - get well soon!