Miguel Oliveira underwent successful surgery after his big fall in Mandalika. During the first session of the weekend, the Portuguese suffered an electrical problem on his bike, which deactivated the traction control and sent him to highside.
Having fallen heavily, the Trackhouse pilot was transferred to hospital where a multiple fracture of the radius, at the level of the right wrist, was diagnosed. Oliveira returned to Portugal to undergo surgery, for an intervention which took place this Monday.
“[Miguel Oliveira] was able to travel to Lisbon and was accompanied by Dr. Gonçalo Morais Sarmento and his team to the Sant’Ana de Pare Hospital, where a plate was placed to stabilize the bone”we can read on the pilot’s website.
MotoGP is currently in the midst of a very intense period of its season, with six races scheduled over seven weekends. Oliveira’s absence is already a certainty for Motegi this weekend, and most likely Phillip Island, two weeks later. He could find his Aprilia the following weekend, in Thailand, which will depend on the evolution of his injury over the coming weeks.
“A cautious convalescence awaits Miguel Oliveira, focused on the success of the operation, and the first week will consist of complete rest to evaluate and then define the most effective and appropriate strategy to allow him to get back on the bike as quickly as possible At the moment, everything indicates that the driver will miss the next two races, in Japan and Australia.
Trackhouse has not yet named a replacement for Miguel Oliveira. The regulations require teams to make the necessary efforts to find another driver within ten days of an injury, meaning Raúl Fernández could remain the only driver entered this weekend at Motegi.
The designated replacement is in theory Lorenzo Savadori, Aprilia test driver, and he could be hired in Japan in a few days. The Italian has already made three wild-card starts this year, but himself suffered a vertebrae injury at Assen. He has since competed in a new race, at the Red Bull Ring.
