Anthony West to make MotoGP return for Australian GP
Former factory Kawasaki MotoGP rider Anthony West will return to the premier class for his home grand prix in Australia next weekend as a substitute for Karel Abraham on the AB team's Honda

Abraham has missed several races due to persistent problems with a foot injury sustained in a warm-up crash at Barcelona's Catalunya GP in June.
The Czech rider initially skipped the German and Indianapolis GPs - where Hiroshi Aoyama and Toni Elias made stand-in appearances respectively - before returning for his home event at Brno in mid-August.
But he has now been advised to withdraw from racing again for the three-week run of flyaway races that commences in Japan this weekend.
"It's not much of a surprise, it's been pretty obvious the past few races that it wasn't getting better, but worse," said Abraham.
"The final decision came after Aragon, which was harder on my foot and which I wasn't able to finish.
"We've consulted several specialists, who have warned us that continued stress on the foot could have permanent consequences.
"Unfortunately, in this situation the only thing you can do is to get some rest and patiently start rehab.
"Even though it's been almost four months since the injury, because of the constant stress to the foot it's practically like starting from scratch.
"For the time being, we've decided to skip three races overseas, and then we'll consult the doctors and see if it's possible to start the final race in Valencia."
Japanese veteran Kosuke Akiyoshi, a long-time Suzuki and Honda test rider, has been called up for Motegi this weekend, with West then getting the ride for Phillip Island.
The 34-year-old Australian was a works Kawasaki rider in MotoGP in 2007/08, but he has spent recent seasons in Moto2.
Prior to the AB invitation, he was without a ride after being replaced in the QMMF team by Mika Kallio last month.
AB has yet to announce its rider plans for the final race of Abraham's absence at Sepang.

MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo feared his latest injury was 'much worse'
Motegi MotoGP: Yamaha's Lorenzo fastest in first practice

Latest news
Busch calls out "disrespect from everybody" in "disaster" NASCAR Clash
Kyle Busch has called out "disrespect from everybody" in Sunday's "disaster" NASCAR Cup Series pre-season Clash at Los Angeles' Memorial Coliseum.
Why the time was right for Ford's F1 return with Red Bull
Some 22 years after pulling the plug out of Jaguar and handing the keys to a certain Dietrich Mateschitz, the paths of Ford and Red Bull have crossed again. And their 2026 Formula 1 alliance makes sense for both parties.
Vandoorne joins Peugeot WEC team as reserve driver
Reigning Formula E champion Stoffel Vandoorne will serve as Peugeot’s official reserve driver in its first full season in the World Endurance Championship in 2023.
Red Bull duo say Ricciardo F1 sim input will be a boost
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez reckon Red Bull will gain significantly from Daniel Ricciardo working in its simulator on Formula 1 weekends as part of his new third driver role.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew-members absorbed into other operations
How one MotoGP team went from title fights to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is MotoGP's comeback king ready to reclaim his throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Autosport
How MotoGP’s underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Autosport why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of competition more than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
The Ducati rider who is much more than just the brother of a MotoGP legend
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Autosport – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend
Ranking the top 10 riders of MotoGP 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Autosport picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.