Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir will miss the upcoming Misano MotoGP round after Monday’s tests revealed further damage to his right ankle.
A small fracture in the talus bone was diagnosed on Sunday after a monster lap-one highside at turn four of the Red Bull Ring race. Having flown back to Mallorca, Mir received a CT scan and an extra MRI under the guidance of Dr. Juan Garcías at Hospital Juaneda Miramar in Palma, confirming ligament and bone damage on the right side.
Mir has therefore been advised to take absolute rest for the next 15 days and will not be able to race in Misano.
“The patient had an injury to the talocalcaneal ligaments with a small bone avulsion,” Dr. Garcías confirmed. “A stable tibiofibular joint, but with bone contusion on the head of the talus. In this case, the tibiofibular joint was stable and there was no total instability in the navicular bone. Conclusion: talus-calcaneal-navicular ligamentous injuries with instability grade I – II.”
Mir will undergo another round of scans to assess the injuries following his 15-day rest period, in order to determine the extended course of treatment and decide on his eligibility for the Grand Prix of Aragon at Motorland towards the end of the month.
So far, a replacement rider has not been announced.
“After undergoing several tests, the doctors have advised me to take 15 days’ rest and another evaluation after that period,” Mir said. "Unfortunately, I will miss the Misano race, but I am confident I can return in Aragon. I want to thank Dainese and AGV for protecting me and avoiding a more serious injury after the hard crash I had on Sunday. It's been a tough season, but I'm convinced that we'll come back stronger to bring more good moments to my team and to all of you who support me.”
“I’m very sorry for Joan,” Team Manager, Livio Suppo added. “Problems continue to arise during this difficult season. In any case, we should remain upbeat. The crash was really big and in the end the injury is a serious one, but it could have been worse, so let's be positive and see how he will recover in the next 15 days to hopefully be ready for Aragon.”
