Despite his new ‘bionic hand’, Danilo Petrucci is set to be at the final official Moto GP testing in Qatar.
The OCTO Pramac Ducati rider crashed out of the third day of testing at Phillip Island on Saturday 20th February in what his team has described as a strange accident. Petrucci came off at turn eight and ended up in the gravel trap which resulted in compound fractures to the second, third and fourth metacarpal on his right hand. Practice was red flagged for a short time and Petrucci was given first aid, but doctors had to wait for the swelling to subside before being able to operate on Monday.
In what was approximately a three-hour operation, doctors from Alfred Hospital, Melbourne have inserted several pins into what Petrucci is referring to as his ‘new bionic hand’. He has also stated on Twitter that he plans to introduce it to the world in Qatar. Final pre-season testing is set to take place in Qatar in just 8 days, with the season opener approaching on March 20th.
Twitter: Io, il mondo e la mia nuova mano bionica vi diamo appuntamento in Qatar. L’ho detto. https://t.co/S6HWzsnfE1 (@Petrux9)
Petrucci had felt comfortable with the setup on the bike previous to the accident. He was quickest on the first day of testing, and just before his crash he had managed to break through the 1:30 minutes barrier on his 53rd lap which placed him 11th quickest. The Terni rider will now return home to Italy to start his rehabilitation.
Twitter: Not the best place for crash.
Non il miglior posto per cadere.
https://t.co/zdPao32is3 (@Petrux9)
