Enea Bastianini will miss upcoming MotoGP events in Italy, India and Japan after sustaining injuries in a five-bike pile-up at the start of the Catalunya MotoGP.

The Italian came off worst in the incident that was triggered when he mis-judged his braking while taking a tight inside line coming into Turn 1 for the first time, first clipping Johann Zarco before swiping out fellow Ducati riders Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio.

Coming just moments before factory Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia too incurred injuries in a separate incident further round the turn, both riders were taken to hospital for assessment.

- 2023 MotoGP World Championship Standings -

Bastianini was subsequently diagnosed with a fracture of the malleolus [ankle] and a complex fracture of the second metacarpal of the left hand, for which he has since undergone surgery to correct.

As a result, ‘the Beast’ has been ruled out of action for the upcoming San Marino MotoGP, Indian MotoGP and Japanese MotoGP rounds.

This is in addition to the five events he was forced to miss or curtail as a consequence of the shoulder injury he sustained in the first race of the season at Portimao after being tagged by Luca Marini.

The absence at Misano will be a particularly bitter pill for Bastianini to swallow having made the venue scene for some of his most memorable MotoGP moments, notably his two podiums on the unfancied Avintia Ducati in 2021 and his fight down to the wire with Bagnaia last season.