(Reuters) – MotoGP rider Johann Zarco will undergo surgery after he was found to have a fractured wrist following his crash at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, the Frenchman said on Tuesday.
The Avintia Ducati rider was involved in a high-speed crash with Franco Morbidelli’s Petronas Yamaha at turn three in Spielberg on Sunday, with their cartwheeling bikes missing Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales by inches.
A medical check-up on Monday revealed Zarco had fractured his right wrist. He will have an operation in Italy on Wednesday.
“This is the doctor that has operated many times on Ducati riders,” Zarco said. “Then we will come back to Austria, and I will be on Thursday at the track to have a meeting about the big incident that happened on Sunday.”
Race stewards, who have analysed video footage, have yet to take action against any rider but summoned Zarco and Morbidelli to a meeting at the track “in order to better understand the circumstances”.
The governing FIM spoke of its mission to “support riders and contribute to their safety and education, as well as to apply any sanctions required by the FIM Regulations.”
Zarco said if he is declared fit by the medical centre he will be available for Sunday’s Styrian Grand Prix, which will also be held at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Sunday’s incident has sparked a backlash, with many riders blaming the Frenchman for taking an unusual line while braking heading into the turn.
Morbidelli branded Zarco “half a killer” after the race, and said on Twitter on Monday that “someone needs to pay the mistake”, but the Frenchman maintains he did not move under braking deliberately.
Avintia Ducati has defended Zarco, saying the telemetry data on the bike shows he did not brake early to cause a collision.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru/Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Christian Radnedge)
