MotoGP: Joan Mir ruled out of German Grand Prix with hand injury

Joan Mir will not take part in this weekend’s German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring after injuring his hand at Mugello last weekend.

The Repsol Honda rider fell during the second practice session, fracturing his little finger on his right hand, and opted to pull out of the remainder of the weekend in the hope that he’d be able to return in Germany.

“Upon returning home, Joan Mir underwent an MRI at the Centre d’Imatge Diagnostica de la Dra. Cuesta in Andorra,” a statement from Repsol Honda revealed. “It revealed a significant contusion on his right hand with synovial fluid and inflammation, limiting the strength and mobility of his right hand.

“Taking into consideration the results of the MRI, Mir will not participate in the German GP. He will travel to Palma to visit his trusted traumatologist, Dr. Juan Garcias, to evaluate the best treatment and recovery plan of the injury to his right hand, in order to return as soon as possible.”

It’s another serious blow for Mir, who has struggled since joining the factory Honda team. After the opening six rounds the 2020 World Champion has just five points to his name. Mir has crashed out of four sprint races and three Grand Prix races after struggling to adapt to the RC213V.

He’s not the first to do so. Both Jorge Lorenzo and Pol Espargaro know all too well how difficult the Honda is to ride, as does Alex Marquez and Mir’s former Suzuki teammate Alex Rins.

The LCR Honda rider is also out of action after breaking his right leg at Mugello during the sprint race. Rins suffered fractures to his tibia and fibula, and underwent the first of two operations on Saturday evening to attach an external fixator in order to stabilise his leg and reduce swelling.

Rins is due to undergo surgery again in Madrid later this week and will not be back on the grid until the British Grand Prix at the earliest.

Neither Mir or Rins, who both joined Honda at the end of 2022 following Suzuki’s shock departure from MotoGP, will be replaced this weekend, which means that HRC will be represented by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda).

Marquez has crashed out of both Grand Prix races since his return from injury, however he’ll be quietly confident that he can return to form given that he has taken 11 wins from his last 11 appearances at the Sachsenring.

Marquez is currently 18^th in the championship, whilst Nakagami is 16^th with 24 points on the board so far.