Francesco Bagnaia has escaped fractures following a frightening crash at the Catalan Grand Prix, although Ducati MotoGP team-mate Enea Bastianini will require ankle and hand surgery following a separate incident.
Ducati has confirmed that Bagnaia would fly to Italy with the team on Sunday night after proceedings wrapped up in Barcelona.
The reigning world champion was leading the race on the opening lap when he high-sided through the first chicane.
Bagnaia was flung into the air from his Lenovo Ducati and landed in the middle of the track in front of a tightly bunched pack of riders, with KTM’s Brad Binder unable to avoid him.
Binder ran over Bagnaia’s legs and the race was immediately red-flagged.
An update from Ducati posted on X, formerly Twitter, read: “Pecco Bagnaia has sustained multiple contusions, but further medical checks have shown no fractures.
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“The reigning World Champion will fly to Italy with the team tonight.”
In the first report on Bagnaia’s condition on Sunday, Dr Angel Charte told DAZN: “Pecco has had severe polytrauma. A motorbike ran over him in the femoral and tibial area.
“We have taken X-rays of this area and have detected a small injury that we don’t know if it is current or old.
“We need to do an urgent CAT scan and that is why we have sent him to the general hospital.
“At cranial, thoracic and abdominal levels, he has been normal at all times; he was conscious and oriented.
“The image we have seen is from conventional radiology, so it is difficult to be sure that there is no fracture. It is necessary to do a CAT scan.”
Bastianini – who caused a multiple rider pile-up on the first lap at Turn 1 – came off worse in a separate incident and will require surgery on his ankle and hand.
Bastianini was hit with a Long Lap Penalty for his role in the crash, when he struck Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco, creating a knock-on effect as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Ducati), VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) were all caught up in the incident.
Bastianini was unable to participate in the restart and will serve the penalty at the next race he is able to take part in.
Ducati said in an update: “Enea Bastianini suffered a non-displaced fracture of the medial malleolus of the left ankle and a sub-capital fracture of the second metacarpal of his left hand.
“Both his hands and ankle have been immobilized with plaster to enable him to fly to Italy tonight.
“Bastianini will require surgery on his ankle and, to speed up his recovery, he will also undergo surgery on his hand in the following days.”
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