Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro swapped Valencia GP qualifying for hospital scans on Saturday after a heavy highside in FP3.

Having run firmly at the front in the morning free practice, alongside his Aprilia-mounted brother, Espargaro suffered a highside on the exit of turn 12 heading into turn 13, needing immediate assistance trackside.

Taken first to the circuit medical centre, the Honda rider was later transported to 9 de Octubre Hospital in Valencia for further checks with scans revealing heavy bruising, especially around the right thorax and abdomen.

“Unfortunately today I had a very big crash during FP3 at turn 13,” Espargaro explained. “The impact was very hard but fortunately I have no serious injuries and nothing appeared broken in the tests we did at the hospital.”

While the Catalan has missed qualifying for the final race of the season, Espargaro has not ruled out competing in the 27-lap finale, confirming he will rest overnight before assessing his condition and continued participation on Sunday morning.

“At the moment I have a lot of pain from around my ribs when I breathe, this is what hurts most. I’m really disappointed because we had great speed and I was feeling really confident. I’m sorry for my team. Tonight we will rest, take painkillers and see what the situation is in the morning.”