MotoGP | Aleix raises the white flag: he also stops at Sachsenring

The summer break for Aleix Espargaro begins early, despite himself. The Aprilia rider, who was injured last weekend in Assen, tried to get on the track this morning at the Sachsenring, but had to throw in the towel. The fracture to his right hand is still hurting too much. Captain to allow him to drive, so he decided not to continue the weekend and focus on recovery.

Only three laps for the Aprilia rider in the first free practice session of the German Grand Prix: this was enough evidence to make him understand that going forward and resisting would not be an advantage, on the contrary. The fracture to the fifth metacarpal of his right hand continues to hurt him a lot despite the extensive physiotherapy he has undergone in recent days. However, only a few days have passed since the injury.

Luck was not on the side of the Granollers rider, who fell right in the middle of the double race that precedes the summer break. Aleix was in fact the protagonist of a highside at the last chicane of the last lap of the Sprint at Assen. The Spaniard ended up violently on the ground, falling for the second time after another slide on Friday’s free practice that had caused him pain in his coccyx.

Taken first to the medical center and then to the Assen hospital, he was forced to withdraw from Sunday’s race due to a fracture to the fifth metacarpal of his right hand. In the days between Assen and Sachsenring he dedicated himself entirely to physiotherapy and rehabilitation and, despite the doctors having advised him not to go to Germany, Espargaro wanted to try anyway.

Nothing to be done for the Aprilia rider, who had to surrender to the pain, as he told Sky: “I knew 95% that I couldn’t race, because the doctors had told me so at home. But I wanted to come and try because even if there was a 1% chance, it was worth trying. But I’m in so much pain, I don’t think it’s just the fracture, but also some affected nerves. I have so much pain in the curves and I can’t turn the throttle, it’s practically impossible”.

“Talking to Charte and all the doctors, the right thing to do was to start recovering and not come to Sachsenring. But I wanted to try, it’s the last race before the summer break, but the hand wants to rest. So it’s also good that there’s a bit of a holiday now. I really like training, but the hand wants to rest, after all it’s a fracture and it needs at least three weeks to heal. I think I’ll have enough time for Silverstone,” he explained.