Breathing difficulties force Joan Mir out of Austrian MotoGP
Suzuki Ecstar rider Joan Mir will not ride in the 2019 Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring following his high-speed crash at Brno on Monday
Joan Mir will miss this weekend’s Austrian MotoGP as a consequence of the high-speed accident he suffered during testing in the Czech Republic earlier in the week, but Suzuki Ecstar will not replace him.
The Spaniard crashed at the first corner during the one-day mid-season test at Brno on Monday, the high-speed nature of the smash causing his Suzuki GSX-RR to vault the air fence.
With Mir revealing he rolled through the gravel numerous times – taking a lot of hits – he was diagnosed with a pulmonary contusion which made it difficult for him to breathe. Whilst he avoided serious injury otherwise, the breathing concerns mean the Spaniard endured an extended stay in hospital.
As such, Mir was been ruled out of this weekend’s Red Bull Ring round as a precaution to give him time to fully recover ahead of the British MotoGP at Silverstone.
Joan Mir 'trying to recover' for Silverstone
“It's such a shame to miss this race following the incident in the Brno Test. 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.
“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. 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.”
Despite running three bikes in Brno, Suzuki will not call upon test rider Sylvain Guintoli up for another outing, instead choosing to focus on its number one rider Alex Rins on a sole GSX-RR.
