Crutchlow out of MotoGP Spanish GP after warm-up crash

The British rider suffered a major fall at Turn 8 and had to take assistance from marshals to walk back to the medical centre for mandatory check-ups.

He reportedly visited a hospital for further checks and has now been ruled out of the season opener due to a back injury sustained in the crash.

The British rider, who will be out of contract at the end of this season, had qualified sixth for the race, second highest among the Honda riders after Marc Marquez, who will start the race from the front row of the grid.

He becomes the second MotoGP rider to be ruled out of the first of the two Jerez races after Suzuki's Alex Rins, who picked up a shoulder injury after a big tumble at Turn 11 during qualifying on Saturday.

Rins has suffered a fractured and dislocation of his right shoulder but wasn't officially ruled out of the delayed 2020 MotoGP opener until Sunday morning following a check-up with medical staff at the circuit.

Both Rins and Crutchlow now face a race against time to be fit for the second round of the season, the Grand Prix of Andalucia, which takes place next weekend with MotoGP staying at Jerez.

Rins' and Crutchlow's injuries come just weeks after Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso broke his collarbone in a motocross crash in Italy.

Having undergone surgery immediately, Dovizioso says this weekend he hasn't experienced any "strange pain" in his shoulder, and qualified eighth for today's race.

Petronas Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo qualified on pole for today's 25-lap grand prix after firing in a new lap record in a dramatic session.

The works team Yamaha of Maverick Vinales and the Honda of reigning world champion Marquez start alongside Quartararo on the front row.