Mir to miss Austria

Joan Mir has withdrawn from this weekend's Austrian MotoGP,  following Monday's big accident at the Brno post-race test.

The Suzuki rookie required trackside assistance after the 'scary' incident, before being moved to the circuit’s Medical Centre, where he was diagnosed with a pulmonary contusion and transported by helicopter to Brno Hospital.

Mir to miss Austria

Joan Mir has withdrawn from this weekend's Austrian MotoGP,  following Monday's big accident at the Brno post-race test.

The Suzuki rookie required trackside assistance after the 'scary' incident, before being moved to the circuit’s Medical Centre, where he was diagnosed with a pulmonary contusion and transported by helicopter to Brno Hospital.

Mir has been kept under observation and 'despite the fact that he didn’t suffer major injuries, his lungs are still inflamed, and they will require proper rest to recover'.

“It's such a shame to miss this race following the incident in the Brno Test," Mir said. "It was a big crash and I was transferred to the hospital for further checks because I rolled through the gravel many times and took a lot of hits. At the beginning I struggled to breathe because of the pulmonary contusion, but step by step I improved and now I’m feeling better."

On his return to Spain, Mir will head to the Clinica Dexeus in Barcelona for further checks before returning home to Andorra to rest and heal, attempting to be fully fit for the following Silverstone round. 

"The next thing is to go to the Hospital Dexeus where I will undergo some more medical checks so I can be assured that everything is alright, then I will head home to recover and restart my training. It’s a big pity because I was feeling really good with the bike and we were completing a fantastic test," Mir said.

"Now I have to think day by day, try to recover, and aim to be 100% for Silverstone. I want to keep up my momentum with the bike and continue growing in the top class.

"I must thank all the people who looked after me; from the Clinica Mobile, to the circuit medical staff, Brno hospital, and all the team members. Thanks also to all the fans who have sent lots of positive and supportive messages.” 

Suzuki will not replace Mir, meaning Alex Rins will be its only rider at the Red Bull Ring.

“Spielberg is a really different layout to Brno, and it’s possible that we might struggle a little bit on the long straights and the hard braking, but the bike has evolved a lot since last year and the new fairing we have with the new aerodynamic package is really good, I’m certain that will help us in Austria," Rins said.

"I’m looking forward to the race weekend and I hope I can bring home a good result for the team. I want to send my best wishes to my team-mate, Joan, and hope to see him back soon.” 

“Austria is really different to any other circuit on the calendar, and because of that you need a special set-up there," added Rins crew chief Manuel Cazeaux. "The key point is that the majority of the time is spent with the bike straight - both on acceleration and under braking.

"The riders don’t have the bike leaned over much and Sector 2 is the only place where they’re really turning the bike. It’s not easy because you need to sacrifice some of the cornering capabilities when you’re optimising the bike for good straight-line performance. ]

"Another key area is anti-wheelie, because you need to get the best possible drive." 

Like Mir, Repsol Honda's Jorge Lorenzo hopes to return from injury at Silverstone.

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