Aoki on Jerez standby

Japanese rider Nobuatsu Aoki has been placed on standby by Suzuki with American John Hopkins a major doubt for this weekend’s IRTA test session in Jerez.

American Hopkins will be in Spain for the final winter test, but team boss Paul Denning confirmed he is likely to be absent with the injuries he suffered in a massive crash in Qatar last week.

Hopkins saw specialists in Derby last Friday where it was confirmed he had suffered a broken bone in his right foot, a cracked bone in his left wrist, with multiple bruising and ligament damage adding to the Californian’s long list of injuries.

While Hopkins remains ‘100 per cent’ certain that he will be fit to ride at the season’s opening race in Qatar on March 10, Denning said: “John will be in Jerez but we’d expect him at this stage to not be riding. Some of the injuries he has seem to get worse as time goes by, so we want him to be in the best shape possible for the first race.

Test and development rider Aoki has now been placed on standby to ride Hopkins’ Rizla Suzuki GSV-R 800 machine alongside Aussie Chris Vermeulen.

Japanese rider Kousuke Akiyoshi was already scheduled to appear in Jerez when the test kicks off on Friday (March 23).