Canepa Crashes in Australia Practice, Taken to Hospital

Pramac Racing might be forced to tackle the Australian Grand Prix this weekend with a single rider, as Niccolo Canepa is currently in hospital recuperating from an injury he picked up during the first practice session on Friday. The Italian rider lost control of his bike in the very first corner of the Phillip Island track and slid off the track, burning through the equipment covering his right elbow.

The cut he has sustained will be closely investigated by the medical staff in a Melbourne hospital, after which he will be given a final verdict on whether he can make the MotoGP grid in Australia or sit this one out. Neither the doctors nor the team was able to give the media an insight on Canepa's current condition.

“I fell when I was in fourth gear at more than 200 km/h and while I was sliding on the asphalt I burned my leather and so my right elbow got burned quite deeply as well,” said Canepa when in the hospital.

“I feel a lot of pain from the shoulder to the hand but it seems like nothing is broken. We have to go to Melbourne's hospital to clean and disinfect the cut. Only at that time we will be able to understand if a skin transplant will be possible. For Sunday's race we should know something more only after surgery,” added the Italian rider, who is to make his final 3 outings with the team before moving out of the series at the end of the year.

Team principal Fabiano Sterlacchini expressed his worries over Canepa's conditions, while also advising his rider to take the necessary time off in order to make a complete recovery to racing.

“My only advice to Niccolo is to not have any hurry in these moments but stay calm and evaluate the situation of the injury well. The team is with him,” said the Italian boss, who also revealed that the doctors will proceed to a skin transplant for Canepa during the course of today.