A few riders remain on the sidelines with factory test riders filling in, whilst a few have recovered and will return to action in Austin
Round 3 of the 2023 MotoGP™ World Championship fires into life this weekend at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
One of the most highly-anticipated races of the year will see an interesting grid take shape with some riders out injured, some deputising for their out-of-action colleagues and some returning to action following an injury absence.
The two key names to miss out on are the men who have won the last two editions of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas: 2021 victor Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and the reigning COTA King Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).
The eight-time World Champion is closely following the advice of his medical team and won’t be in attendance this weekend, instead allowing his right thumb to heal fully following his costly error at the opening round of the year.
As a result, Stefan Bradl steps into the fold this weekend. Although his last appearance in Austin was back in 2016, the German has just finished two days of testing at Jerez and has been called upon countless times over the past three years following Marquez’s injury issues.
The Beast also misses out this weekend, meaning his wait to see a chequered in 2023 goes on. The Italian, who was struck by Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) during the first Tissot Sprint of the year, had hoped to recover in time from his right shoulder injury but another two weeks is required before he’s ready to ride again. So, in comes Michele Pirro, an experienced substitute rider.
Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team), who were both absent for the Argentinian Grand Prix return to the fold. The Mallorcan suffered a nasty highside in Saturday’s Sprint meaning he sat out Sunday’s Grand Prix, whilst Oliveira hopes to be back in action following the controversial clash that ended his Portuguese Grand Prix. As always, the pair will need to undergo a final medical check ahead of the opening Practice session in order to be officially declared fit to race. – www.motogp.com
