Joan Mir will sit out the Austrian GP this weekend due to injuries sustained while testing his Ecstar Suzuki at Brno on 5 August.

The Spanish rider suffered a pulmonary contusion in the high-speed accident and was airlifted to the Brno hospital, where he was kept under observation before being released. Given his injuries, the team and Mir have decided to sit out the next race so that the 21-year-old can focus on his recovery. Mir will fly back to Spain for further treatment at the Clinica Dexeus in Barcelona.

“It’s such a shame to miss this race following the incident in the Brno test,” Mir said. “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.
“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 percent for Silverstone. I want to keep up my momentum with the bike and continue growing in the top class.”

While Mir recovers, teammate Alex Rins will line up as the only Team Ecstar Suzuki rider at the Austrian GP this weekend.

Mir, Czech MotoGP 2019

TEST: PETE VORST  PHOTOGRAPHY GNG