For Miguel Oliveira, the MotoGP weekend in Indonesia ended before it really began: He broke his wrist in the crash and will be out for a longer period of time
Miguel Oliveira will not be able to compete in this weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix or the following weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix due to a broken right wrist.
The Trackhouse-Aprilia rider crashed at turn 4 during Friday’s first MotoGP free practice, highsided and catapulted into the air, hitting the asphalt hard. During an initial check-up at the on-site medical center, X-rays revealed a fracture in his right wrist.
Oliveira then underwent a CT scan at a nearby hospital to determine the exact extent of the injury, as MotoGP Medical Director Angel Charte told the Spanish edition of Motorsport.com,
Surgery and a longer forced break
“Miguel has suffered a complicated fracture of his right wrist. He needs surgery and will travel to Portugal for the operation. He will not be able to start in Japan,” the doctor gave an initial prognosis for Oliveira.
Trackhouse team manager Davide Brivio did not yet definitively confirm an operation during the MotoGP training session in the afternoon, which took place without Oliveira, but also ruled out his driver’s return next week in Japan.
“He will fly back home tonight and will definitely miss Japan. Then we will see how to proceed,” said Brivio. The injury is ‘serious’, which is why it must be assumed that Oliveira will be out for a longer period.
Trackhouse hopes for Lorenzo Savadori
Later that afternoon, the Trackhouse team finally announced in an official statement “that Miguel has suffered a multiple fracture of the spoke bone”. The fracture has been successfully stabilized, but will require surgery: “He will fly back to Portugal for surgery.”
A nasty highside at T4 for @_moliveira88
Hoping the @TrackhouseMoto rider is all OK! IndonesianGP pic.twitter.com/bTEqQWaF8l
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) September 27, 2024
Oliveira’s injury comes at the worst possible time for the current MotoGP season, as the Asian tour begins this weekend with five Grands Prix in six weeks.
After Indonesia and Japan, which he is likely to miss, the Australian, Thai and Malaysian Grands Prix follow after a week’s break. “This is not ideal given the upcoming races,” admits Brivio.
“But it is what it is. We now have to manage it in the best possible way.” In order to get the second Trackhouse-Aprilia started in Japan, test rider Lorenzo Savadori is pinning his hopes on it. ”We are working on that. We’ll see if it’s possible.”
What caused Oliveira’s crash could not be clarified on Friday, as he was unable to attend any press appointments. However, team manager Wilco Zeelenberg revealed: “Although the atmosphere at the track is very nice and the grip is very good, unfortunately we had a technical problem and Miguel crashed heavily.”
Oliveira’s teammate Raul Fernandez is now on his own in Mandalika. “Hopefully he can return soon. It’s a disappointment for everyone,” says the Spaniard, but at the same time explains: “Ultimately, we have different programs in the team. So it has no direct impact on me.”