SAVADORI BEGINS RECOVERY

Lorenzo Savadori has undergone successful surgery on a broken ankle after his fiery crash in the Styrian Grand Prix last weekend.

The 28-year-old was operated on at the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma in Italy one day after the race, treating injures sustained in a collision with Dani Pedrosa’s unmanned bike.

The Aprilia Racing Team rider collided with Pedrosa’s KTM at Turn 3 on lap 3 after the Spaniard hit the tarmac, sliding away from his bike which came to rest in the middle of the track.

Savadori was thrown from his bike and both machines subsequently burst into flames, forcing race officials to produce a red flag.

Savadori will now begin the recovery process, looking to return to MotoGP as quickly as possible.

Aprilia will need to activate a replacement for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix at the same venue.

The substitute is yet to be confirmed, but ex-Ducati rider and current Aprilia test rider Andrea Dovizioso is a chance to return to the MotoGP grid.

If the recovery process is successful, the team hopes to have Savadori back for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit on August 29.

Lorenzo Savadori begins recovery – Image: Motorsport Images

Commenting on the incident, Pedrosa was unsure why he had lost control of the bike.

“I don’t know why, maybe the tyre was cold or maybe I touched the wide line on the inside,” Pedrosa theorised.

“It was a little weird because I went into the turn, the turn goes uphill in a steep way in the apex.

“When I wanted to pick up the bike with the throttle I could not. I went in and then I stayed down.

“Then I spun in the middle of the track, it was a scary moment for me. I was turning and I couldn’t see well but I saw bikes each way.”

Pedrosa was unharmed and went on to finish 10th in the Spielberg race.

The current test rider for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing extended his thoughts to the injured Savadori.

“Unfortunately, Savadori got hurt, so I am sorry for him,” Pedrosa said.

Savadori has endured a tough season to date.

The Italian has returned just four points in 10 rounds, ranking him 24th in the standings and last among the riders to have started every race.

MotoGP races have been red-flagged in three consecutive races at the Red Bull Ring, raising questions about the safety of the circuit heading into another race at the venue this weekend.

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