Espargaro struck on injured hand by Zarco-crash debris in Australia
Aleix Espargaro says debris from Johann Zarco's crash in last weekend's Phillip Island MotoGP race struck his left hand, moving the titanium plate he had fitted after his 2017 accident
Zarco suffered a heavy crash at Turn 1 on the fifth lap of the Australian race as the Tech3 Yamaha rider made contact with the rear of Marc Marquez's bike.
The incident left some debris on the track and a piece hit Espargaro's hand after rebounding off the Aprilia rider's clutch lever.
He went on to finish ninth and revealed after the race that the impact had moved the titanium plate inserted in the wake of his crash at Phillip Island last year, which caused him some pain.
"I couldn't see anything, I was in the draft [with] many bikes in front of me," recalled Espargaro.
"I was 20th or 18th at the beginning of the race so it was difficult to see in front.
"I just saw a big black piece coming super-quick to me - it hit my handlebars, the clutch lever went completely down, then it hit my hand.
"At the beginning I thought I couldn't continue, I'm lucky [that] in MotoGP we don't use the clutch.
"Lap by lap I start to feel better but every time I opened my hand I felt a lot of pain.
"The problem is the plate has moved, the plate they put in last year here after my crash. It pushed the tendons, which is why I felt pain."
"I will try [to race]," he said. "It's not related to pain, because if I could race here I can race in Malaysia.
"It's more related to how the plate has moved, [whether] it is dangerous. We will see."
After a couple of difficult races in Thailand and Japan, Aprilia prepared a 'lab' bike featuring a new chassis for Espargaro to sample at Phillip Island, and the Spaniard said he was pleased with the results of the experiment.
But he reckons the team must see how the revised machine performs at a more typical track, such as Sepang, before drawing definitive conclusions.
He said: "I can see the light a little bit because the bike is a lot different.
"At the beginning of the race when the bike worked good, [on a] full tank, I started to lap [quickly], I felt great during the race.
"[But] this track is quite strange. I don't want to think [that] what we tried here is good or bad; I want to go to Malaysia and just work this bike and see what it brings."
Previous article
Zarco feared MotoGP Phillip Island crash with Marquez wouldn't stop
Next article
Rossi: Vinales MotoGP win 'doesn't change' Yamaha's need to improve
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Aleix Espargaro , Pol Espargaro , Johann Zarco |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Has Yamaha banished its demons with its 2021 MotoGP bike?
Against the expected run of play at Qatar's Losail circuit, both Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo carved through a resolute Ducati defence to secure back-to-back MotoGP wins for the Japanese marque. After a difficult 2020, it appears that Yamaha has swaggered back into championship contention
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
Did the Qatar GP hint at Ducati’s true MotoGP leader?
OPINION: Johann Zarco talked a big game pre-season, and is so far vindicating himself as a factory rider at Pramac after finishing the Qatar GP as top Ducati in second. And contrasting his and Jack Miller's weekends and their approaches, is Zarco emerging as Ducati's true MotoGP leader?
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
The past clues which hint at the MotoGP order in Qatar
The MotoGP season kicks off this weekend in Qatar - two years after it last visited the Losail circuit for a race weekend as last season's round was called off. As ever, the pecking order is difficult to map out at this early stage of the season, but perhaps the 2019 race offers some clues as to how things might shake out...
