Marco Bezzecchi
Pramac rider Miguel Oliveira is out of the Grand Prix of the Americas through injury. The team confirmed on Thursday morning that Augusto Fernandez would deputise.
Oliveira missed the Argentina Grand Prix last Sunday after a collision with Fermin Aldeguer in the Sprint race. Aldeguer received a long-lap penalty for the incident.
The Portuguese returned to the circuit after visiting hospital for checks. But further examinations have found damage to the sternoclavicular joint just below the neck.
It’s unclear how many races Oliveira will miss at this stage. He joins world champion Jorge Martin on the sidelines, with the Aprilia star not ready until Qatar at the earliest.
Alex Rins sends ‘strength’ to Miguel Oliveira as Pramac rider suffers injury
Pramac were concerned about Oliveira in Argentina, reporting that the pain had worsened before Sunday’s race. They’ve now had to make a temporary line-up change just two races into the season, with Fernandez stepping up to partner Jack Miller.
Oliveira missed five races at the back end of the 2024 season, when he was still an Aprilia rider at Trackhouse. He broke his wrist in a crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix.
Writing on his Instagram page, Oliveira said ‘there are no words to describe my frustration’. He admits it’s particularly ‘tough’ not to have a set recovery timeline, but expressed his determination to return ‘at 100%’.
In the comment section, Yamaha rider Alex Rins offered his support. Rins wrote ‘fuerza tio’, which translates to ‘strength man’, before adding ‘let’s go’ in English.
Rins may have to undergo another operation as he deals with the long-term effects of his broken ankle at the Italian Grand Prix. As such, he’s naturally sympathetic to Oliveira.
Franco Colapinto’s Pramac joke resurfaces after Augusto Fernandez called up
Fernandez moved into a test role with Yamaha after losing his spot in the KTM stable. He rode for satellite outfit Tech3 last season.
The Spaniard was utterly outshone by rookie teammate Pedro Acosta, who outscored him by 215 points to 27. Still, he’s young enough that MotoGP teams may pay attention if he delivers as a Pramac stand-in.
F1 driver Franco Colapinto joked about being a replacement rider for Pramac when they announced their partnership with Alpine. As it turned out, the Italian team needed a reserve almost immediately.
The squad who won the world championship last year with Martin find themselves bottom of the standings after two races. Miller has already looked like their lead rider after scoring eight of their first 10 points.
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