Francesco Bagnaia fears wrist injury after Johann Zarco crash: “Something’s not quite right”

Francesco Bagnaia has revealed he will have his left wrist re-examined after struggling through Monday’s in-season MotoGP test at Barcelona.

Bagnaia had already undergone an X-ray on his wrist on Sunday following a frightening three-way crash with Johann Zarco and Luca Marini at the Catalan Grand Prix.

Although the factory Ducati rider was able to take the restart, he admitted to feeling dizzy from the impact of the crash on his neck. While his neck continued to limit him in the post-race Barcelona test, lingering discomfort in his wrist also remained a concern.

Bagnaia skipped his usual post-test media briefing due to the pain, opting instead to rest and recover after four consecutive days on track.

With the test now over, the three-time world champion will now return to Italy for further medical checks ahead of his home race at Mugello on 31 May.

«I might have to check my wrist again on Tuesday, when I fly home, because I have a feeling something’s not quite right. So we’ll try it and see,» he told Sky Italy.

«I will definitely do a lot of physiotherapy, focus on the positives, and not overdo it with training, because it could make things worse. 

“The Mugello race is one of the most unusual; it’s similar to Austin in terms of demands, so we have to be prepared and at 100%.”

Bagnaia completed just 23 laps in the Barcelona test, which was cut short by rain, ending up half a second off the pace in 10th.

Earlier, he had finished fifth on the road in the Catalan GP, but was promoted to third after penalties for Ai Ogura and Joan Mir. The result marked the first Sunday podium of the season for both him and the factory Ducati team.

Bagnaia’s fitness concerns compounded the troubles for Ducati and its rider roster early in the season.

Gresini sophomore Fermin Aldeguer suffered an injury during training in January, missed the Thailand season opener and continued to struggle on his comeback. He only returned to the podium in Barcelona.

Bagnaia’s own team-mate Marc Marquez had been off the pace after it came to light that a screw in his shoulder had been dislodged. He got an operation just a week before the Catalan GP, after a crash in the sprint race at Le Mans also left him with a broken foot.

Further, Alex Marquez was hospitalised with fractures following a separate collision with Pedro Acosta that caused the first stoppage at Le Mans. VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio was also hit by flying debris from the same incident and, although he went on to win the race, he skipped Monday’s test entirely to recover from an injury to his left hand. 

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— The Motorsport.com Team