Quartararo: 'Everything hurts, but I'm lucky'

MotoGP rookie Fabio Quartararo was forced to miss Friday afternoon practice at Phillip Island after a nasty highside at the end of a wet FP1 session.

The Frenchman was flung from his Petronas Yamaha when the rear slid around on entry to Turn 6, landing awkwardly on his left ankle.

Clearly in pain, Quartararo was moved by stretcher from the side of the track and on to the Medical Centre.

Fortunately, no fractures were found and Quartararo was declared fit to continue, but missed FP2 due to the strong painkillers he had received for a hematoma in his left ankle.

"I lost the rear wheel, then I recovered the grip and I got thrown over the top," Quartararo said, just before watching FP2 from the pits.

"I have been lucky because after the strong impact on my ankle, I have not broken anything. And also because the motorcycle did not hit me in the fall, it only touched my hand with the fairing."

The six-time podium finisher is to undergo further treatment with the aim of hopefully returning in Saturday's FP3 session.

"Tomorrow we'll see. We have a lot of pain in the foot. A shame not to be able to ride today in the afternoon, but at the same time I'm very happy that I didn't break anything.

"Everything hurts, but I've been lucky."

Quartararo, who finished the morning session in seventh, felt the accident was down to a lack of experience in the wet, particularly in terms of the engine maps.

"I don't have much experience in wet conditions, but it was going pretty well," said the 20-year-old.

"I have made a mistake, but it can be said that it has been an apprenticeship of how to manage the [engine] maps in the rain. It was drying and the grip was not very high. As I say, it is experience.

"We have not had many [falls] with the Yamaha, but surely this one and Silverstone were the toughest and hurt me the most."

After a sunny FP2, more rain is forecast for Saturday.

The Sepang team's home Malaysian Grand Prix starts in one week.