Fabio Quartararo will have to manage an ankle injury and a big toe fracture during MotoGP’s Dutch TT weekend at Assen after a fall while on a run in Amsterdam.
The 24-year-old said he does not expect the injury to affect his pace, but admitted it may be more of a consideration this weekend in particular – given it can impact how he rides through the changes of direction, which are plentiful at the twisty Assen circuit.
“I crashed… running,” Quartararo said.
“I twisted my ankle, twisted my big toe, and I will have an x-ray in one hour. Hopefully nothing really big.”
Asked for more specifics, he said he “fully crashed” and joked that “it’s dangerous running”.
As for whether it would impact his weekend, the 2021 MotoGP champion said: “I would say no, but I will take some painkillers because it’s exactly where I have to shift [my body], where I have to really put some weight on, to change direction.
“So, I will be much more tired, but it’s part of the job.”
Following a medical check-up after his session, Quartararo wasn’t declared as conclusively fit or unfit, but rather “to be reviewed” after opening practice. And it was confirmed that he did indeed sustain a toe fracture.
The Assen weekend, which will lead into MotoGP’s summer break, is a big one for Quartararo, who is enduring a thoroughly disappointing season.
He has scored in every Sunday race so far, yet hasn’t been a regular victory, podium or even top-five threat, and is 103 points behind championship leader Pecco Bagnaia, who he challenged for the 2022 title.
“For me it’s clearly a track that, if we don’t go fast here, we won’t be fast anywhere,” Quartararo said of the Dutch TT venue where he won in 2021.
“Because I think that basically, it’s one of my favourite tracks, personally I’ve always been fast at the track. Even if we have some difficulties with the bike.
“In Sachsenring we expected to be fast, we were not fast. So hopefully we can make a great result and go holidaying in a great position.”
