Johann Zarco passed his medicine on the Red Bull Ring
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Johann Zarco got the green light for the Styrian Grand Prix this weekend at the Red Bull Ring.
The French passed a medical examination this afternoon (Friday 21st August) and was therefore declared roadworthy. Zarco missed both free practice sessions today, but will return to the Austrian track for FP3 tomorrow morning.
News from the Grand Prix of Styria
Zarco was operated on Tuesday for a broken right scaphoid bone. Zarco was unable to take a fitness test prior to today’s sessions as it was less than 48 hours after his operation. In his terrible accident with Franco Morbidelli at the Austrian GP last weekend, he sustained a wrist injury. Both bikes almost hit Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales on turn three.
After a meeting of the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel on Thursday, Zarco will be forced to start the race from the pit lane on Sunday. If Zarco decides he cannot drive due to his injury, that penalty will be carried over to Misano on September 13th.
MotoGP: Johann Zarco starts Grand Prix of Styria out of the box
First published: August 21, 2020 by Josh Close
If he is fit enough this weekend, Johann Zarco will have to start out of the box at the Styrian Grand Prix.
The Frenchman received the penalty for his part in the terrible fall of Franco Morbidelli at the Austrian GP last Sunday. The two collided as they drove through the bend of the second corner while braking for the slow corner of three. Both riders were sent into the gravel trap at high speed, their motorcycles kept going. Morbidelli’s bike got very close to Valentino Rossi, while Zarco’s Ducati Maverick Vinales narrowly dodged.
The FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel hearing was held on Thursday afternoon (August 20th) and it was found that Zarco was presenting evidence of irresponsible driving.
It is not yet known whether Zarco will be able to drive at all this weekend. He had an operation on his broken right scaphoid bone on Tuesday and will receive medical treatment at 4 p.m. today (Friday, August 21).
If he can’t drive this weekend, Zarco will take his penalty at the next race he competes in. If all goes well, it will be in Misano on September 13th.
MotoGP: Johann Zarco is operated on for a scaphoid fracture
First published: August 18, 2020 by Josh Close
Johann Zarco will be operated on tomorrow (Wednesday, August 19) to repair a small fracture in the navicular bone of his right hand.
The Esponsorama Avintia Racing driver received a medical check-up at the Red Bull Ring on Monday after persistent pain in his right wrist after the serious fall on Sunday. The results of this investigation showed that he had broken his navicular bone and that Zarco will now travel to Italy for the medical procedure.
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“On Monday I did a few checks on my right wrist because it was still painful and I had a small fracture in the navicular bone,” explains Zarco, who has very good contacts with Ducati, the doctor who often operates on drivers. Then we’ll come back to Austria and I’ll be on the track on Thursday to talk about the big incident on Sunday. “
When Zarco returns to the Red Bull Ring on the Thursday before the Styrian Grand Prix, the Frenchman will have to undergo a medical examination before deciding whether to participate in the race. It will be a similar assessment to the one Cal Crutchlow, Alex Rins and Marc Marquez had to make before the Andalusia GP in July.
Zarco will also have a meeting with the FIM stewards to discuss the accident with Franco Morbidelli at the Austrian GP that almost resulted in Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales being hit by their motorcycles.
“If the wrist feel is okay and the medical center declares me fit to drive, I’ll try to see if I can ride the bike,” added Zarco. “The upside this weekend is that we already have all of the references from the week before, so if I miss a few sessions and I can take another day to see if my wrist is in, it’s not much of a drama Now the main thing is to have the surgery and then see if my feeling improves. The team is working on the bike to prepare and I know everything will be ready when I get back on the bike.
“Maybe it will rain a little, so this is also a chance, because when it rains we have less power on the bike and for me it will be a really good chance when it rains, if I can ride my wrist with little effort.”