Ex-MotoGP rider Tito Rabat will make a return to premier class competition for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez to replace the injured Jorge Martin at Pramac Ducati.
Martin suffered a heavy crash during FP3 on Saturday ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix, the rookie losing the front of his Desmosedici at Turn 7 while on an out-lap.
He tumbled through the gravel several times at high-speed before coming to rest, though he was unable to walk away shortly after the incident and had to be transported to the circuit medical centre by ambulance, albeit conscious.
The Spaniard was diagnosed with head, right hand and right ankle contusions as a result of the crash, facilitating a transfer to the local hospital in Portimao to undergo surgery and forcing him to skip the Portuguese encounter just a fortnight after securing a debut pole position and rostrum in Qatar.
He will go under the knife at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona to try and reduce the fractures he sustained to his right thumb, right malleolus in his ankle as well as a tibial plateau injury just below his left knee.
Johann Zarco entered the Portuguese GP as Pramac’s sole representative due to the late nature of Martin’s withdrawal, though with his continued absence ex-Avintia man Rabat has been drafted in to deputise for the 2018 Moto3 world champion at the Italian outfit.
Rabat spent five seasons competing in the premier class for the Marc VDS Honda team as well as Avintia Ducati, scoring a best result of seventh with the latter squad in the ’18 Argentinean GP, while a best riders championship standing of 19th came in both his ’17 and ’18 campaigns.
He will move to the World Superbike championship for ’21 after being replaced at the renamed Epsonorama team by Luca Marini, the ’14 Moto2 world champion joining the Barni Racing Ducati satellite organisation in the category campaigning one of the marque’s V4 Panigale challengers.
Ducati’s usual stand-in and test rider Michele Pirro will be busy testing for the brand at Mugello in preparation for the Italian GP in the days heading up to the Spanish event, leading to the deal for Rabat to deputise instead.
