Stefan Bradl is to miss the rest of the 2017 WorldSBK season. The Red Bull Honda rider’s wrist injury, sustained in a crash at Portimao, is more serious than initially thought, and the recovery period required means he will not be fit for either the Jerez or Qatar rounds of WorldSBK.
The decision was taken after surgery on Bradl’s right wrist. Pins were inserted and a torn scaphulonate ligament reattached, damage sustained in the crash.
The surgeons who performed the operation have ordered Bradl to keep his wrist immobilized to allow the damage to heal. This effectively makes it impossible for him to ride for the rest of the season.
The absence of Bradl puts the team in a difficult position. They are already having to substitute one rider, after the tragic death of Nicky Hayden in a cycling accident earlier this year.
Now, they will also also have to replace Bradl as well. Takumi Takahashi replaced Hayden at Portimao, and will fill in at Jerez as well, but a clash with the All Japan Superbike series means he is unavailable for Qatar.
Davide Giugliano is currently on one Honda at Magny-Cours, while American Jake Gagne takes the second seat. It is likely that some combination of those two riders will be used for the two remaining rounds.
Source: Red Bull Honda; Photos: © 2017 Jensen Beeler / Asphalt & Rubber – Creative Commons – Attribution 3.0
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