Christian Bakkerud has confirmed that he will miss the second event in the main GP2 Series, at Istanbul Park this weekend, as a result of the back injury he sustained during the Barcelona race weekend late last month.
The Dane, who suffered a similar problem throughout his debut GP2 campaign in 2007, was forced to miss the second race in Spain, but has been advised by doctors that, with ongoing physio treatment and physical work-outs, his absence from the track will be temporary and that he should be cleared to drive in Monaco over the weekend of 24-25 May.
“The diagnosis from the team of doctors and specialists who have been treating me in Austria is that I have
not had a recurrence of the disc problem which kept me out of the cockpit on several occasions last year," Bakkerud revealed, "Instead, I incurred severe spinal bruising as a result of two recent incidents - one in Dubai and the second one during the race in Spain, where contact with another car pitched me up in the air. The consequent heavy landings then inflicted the bruising.
"Whilst I'm obviously very disappointed to be missing the Istanbul race again, I am relieved it's not a recurrence of last year's problem and I feel very confident that I will be fully fit for Monaco.”
![Christian Bakkerud - Super Nova Racing [pic credit: GP2 Series]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/432038.jpg)
