Injury forces Bradl out for the rest of the season
Honda World Superbike rider Stefan Bradl will sit out the remainder of the 2017 season due to a wrist injury he sustained in Portugal.
The German suffered a torn scaphulonate ligament of his right wrist in a crash on the third lap of the first race at Portimao.
Bradl underwent surgery on Thursday to have pins and wire inserted to fix the ligament tear, and has been told by doctors to take a rest period of seven weeks before having another operation before rehabilitation can begin.
This will see Bradl – who is already absent from this weekend’s French round – miss the final races at Jerez and Qatar next month.
Honda has yet to confirm a replacement for the German, though the choice will likely be between Jake Gagne and Davide Giugliano – both of who are competing for the team this weekend.
“Obviously it’s quite a difficult time for me, as it’s hard to come to terms with the fact I won’t be able to race for the rest of the season,” said Bradl.
“I have to stay positive, though, and try to do everything needed to make sure that my hand and wrist are fully healed.
“Rest is now priority number one for the healing process.
“Luck hasn’t been on our side this year, but I couldn’t imagine that the consequences of my crash in Portimao were going to be so severe.
“I want to thank everybody who worked with me this year: it hasn’t been an easy one, not only for the sporting side but also for the tragedy we all had to endure early on.
“There’s not much I can do right now, but I will follow the races on TV and support the team from here.”
Currently 14th in the championship on 67 points, the 2011 Moto2 world champion’s debut season in WorldSBK has been a difficult one, with the new Fireblade proving a tough motorcycle to develop.
With only six top 10 finishes to his credit from the 15 races he contested and a best result of sixth, Bradl‘s place within the Honda WorldSBK squad for 2018 looks uncertain, with several names – including current Avintia MotoGP rider Loris Baz – linked with the team for next year.