Bradl déclare forfait pour son Grand Prix national / Bradl to miss home Grand Prix

Blessé au poignet droit suite à sa chute à Assen, Stefan Bradl est contraint à déclarer forfait pour l’épreuve du Sachsenring.

Stefan Bradl avait entamé son programme de rééducation tout de suite après s’être fait opérer par le Dr Stefan Krischak lundi dernier en Allemagne afin d’éventuellement pouvoir reprendre la piste ce week-end pour le Grand Prix GoPro d’Allemagne. 

Malgré tous ses efforts, le pilote du team Athinà Forward Racing n’aura pas suffisamment récupéré d’ici l’ouverture du Grand Prix pour espérer participer à sa course nationale et doit donc déclarer forfait. 

Il sera remplacé par Claudio Corti, qui avait déjà couru avec Forward en Moto2 en 2010 puis en MotoGP en 2013, lorsqu’il courait sur FTR-Kawasaki aux côtés de Colin Edwards.

Stefan Bradl :
« C’est vraiment dommage de manquer mon Grand Prix à domicile mais les médecins m’ont conseillé de ne pas forcer la récupération afin de ne pas risquer quoi que ce soit pour le reste de la saison. Ma main me fait encore mal et je vais essayer de profiter au maximum des quatre semaines dont je dispose avant la course d’Indianapolis. Je serai présent au Sachsenring avec le team pour respecter mes engagements envers les médias, les sponsors et les fans qui m’ont vraiment soutenu durant la semaine qui a suivi mon opération. »

Claudio Corti :
« Je suis vraiment très heureux de pouvoir revenir en MotoGP. Merci à Giovanni et à toute l’équipe pour cette opportunité. J’espère que Stefan sera de retour dès que possible. Je vais essayer de récompenser la confiance du team et de faire de mon mieux en piste. Piloter cette moto va être une nouvelle expérience mais je suis prêt et j’espère obtenir un bon résultat. »

After breaking his scaphoid last time out in Assen, Stefan Bradl will miss his home Grand Prix to focus on recovery.

Following his crash in the Grand Prix of Assen, where he fractured his right scaphoid, Stefan Bradl will not take part to the race at Sachsenring this weekend.

The German rider immediately started rehabilitation after surgery last Monday, in which Dr. Stefan Krischak fixed the broken bone. He was motivated to ride his Yamaha Forward for his home race but despite all efforts and treatments, the pain still persists today and doctors have therefore recommended him not to return to the track too early and rest for a full recovery in view of the second half of the season.

Claudio Corti will substitute him for the German GP, he has been already with Forward in 2010 in Moto2™ riding a Suter bike and in 2013 in MotoGP™ with Colin Edwards riding a FTR-Kawasaki. The 28 year old from Como will be on track on Friday for FP1. Corti's best MotoGP™ result was 12th in the Catalan GP back in 2013, having also claimed a podium in France during the 2012 Moto2™ season.

Stefan Bradl: "It's really a shame to be forced to miss my home Grand Prix, but doctors have advised me not to rush the recovery in order not to jeopardize the rest of the season. My hand is still sore and I will try to take full advantage of the four weeks stop before the race at Indianapolis. I will be at Sachsenring with the team to meet my commitments with the media, the sponsors and all my fans who have been really close to me during the week after I had surgery".

Claudio Corti: "I can’t hide that I'm really happy to be back riding a MotoGP bike. Many thanks to Giovanni and all the team for this opportunity and I hope Stefan will be back as soon as possible. I will try to repay the trust by  working hard and doing my best on the track. Riding this bike will be a new experience but I feel ready and I hope to collect a good result".

Cal Crutchlow takes stunning maiden pole position at Assen

Cal Crutchlow took his first ever MotoGP pole position during today’s exciting Q2 session with a stunning flying last lap in 1:34.398.

The Yamaha Tech3 rider was almost four tenths faster than injured Marc Marquez who was second fastest, and for a very, very brief moment the MotoGP rookie thought he had taken the pole, but Crutchlow was a man on a mission and blasted across the finish line to be first British rider to take a MotoGP pole in eleven years, the last time was Jeremy McWilliams, at Phillip Island in 2002.

“It’s good. I’m pleased obviously, but for me it’s not a true pole because Jorge [Lorenzo] wasn’t not here,” said Crutchlow, “I would have liked to have a dogfight with him, hopefully we’ll be able to do that when he returns and hopefully for a race win later in the season. But we did a good job. I wasn’t happy in free practice four, but if we can make the bike calmer we can go faster again. I’m looking forward to the race. We’ll see what we can do.”

Crutchlow and Marquez last flying laps demoted an excellent Stefan Bradl to third, but it is still a front row start and a first for the LCR rider who switched to Brembo brakes this weekend, and they also knocked Valentino Rossi to fourth, and a second row start.

After taking the provisional pole with five minutes to go in the high octane session, Dani Pedrosa crashed out. The Repsol Honda veteran lost the front of his bike at the De Bult and he was able to walk away and he managed to return to his garage but decided not to go out, and that cost him dearly as he’ll have to start fifth on the grid.

Bradley Smith also had an excellent qualifying session as he was sixth, his best result of the season and he made it three Yamaha’s in the top six positions, after causing some problems during the brief session for Marquez.

CRT rider Aleix Espargaro will open the third row with his seventh place with Alvaro Bautista squeezed between the Spaniard and his team mate Randy De Puniet who qualified ninth and ahead Nicky Hayden who managed a tenth spot and while Ducati test rider Michele Pirro who is subbing for Ben Spies was 11th.

Andrea Dovizioso will start in a lowly 15th tomorrow, and he will probably be handed a penalty point after kicking out Hector Barbera during QP1.

If Jorge Lorenzo passes his fitness test - as he is already flying back to Assen - he will start in 12th.

2013 MotoGP Assen QP2 results:

01- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – 1’34.398
02- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.357
03- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 0.480
04- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.576
05- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.608
06- Bradley Smith – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.056
07- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 1.102
08- Alvaro Bautista – GO&FUN Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 1.110
09- Randy De Puniet – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 1.224
10- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.510
from TWOWHEELSBLOG