Raul Fernandez’s Valencia MotoGP practice crash required the Tech3 KTM rookie to visit the hospital for a CT scan – and he found it “really strange” to be left with marks on his forehead for the second time this season.
Fernandez fell off his RC16 bike at the fast Turn 10 right-hander early in the Saturday morning practice session and needed some time to get back up, ultimately heading away from the crash site under his own steam.
He had to go to the medical centre and subsequently to hospital for a check-up, missing FP4 but returning in time to qualify 22nd for what will be his final race with Tech3 before he switches to RNF Aprilia next year.
“I have pain in all the body,” Fernandez told media afterwards.
“It was a normal crash here, in Valencia, to be honest – you have in the morning [because of the low temperatures] two points very critical, Turn 4 and Turns 10-11, this area is a bit complicated. I didn’t do anything strange.
“Just crashed, a normal crash. But when I arrived to the gravel, I did a lot of backflips, frontflips, everything. I don’t remember. Later I was on the ground for 20, 30 seconds, and when I stood up I was not good, I didn’t see well.
Tricky Saturday in full swing 😮
Down goes @25RaulFernandez at T10 ⚠️#TheDecider pic.twitter.com/TEBh7sgEpN
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 5, 2022
“And when I said that in the ambulance, they said ‘OK, we go to the medical centre’. The medical centre did some checking. And they said ‘OK, you need to go to the hospital to check again’, to do the TAC [Spanish for CT scan], to see if everything’s good.
“The doctor said all was good, nothing was strange. For tomorrow I hope that I can do the race, and that people don’t improve too much.”
Fernandez said he was spurred on to return to the track by staffers for Spanish broadcaster DAZN telling him riders were having joy with the hard front tyre – which he hadn’t used in the sessions prior but would take in qualifying.
But the fact his forehead displayed a minor injury harkened back to his crash in the pre-season test in Mandalika in which his head was left more substantially bruised.
Fernandez returned to riding the KTM the day after that crash, but crashed again – lacking “the perception of speed” on the bike – and was told to stop.
“Strange, no? Really strange?” he said of his Valencia incident in light of the test injury.
“And the crash [today] was not with the hurt, or a super big crash – it was a normal crash here.
“But the problem is, we need to analyse what happened with the head because during the season two times, same place… so it’s complicated.
“But anyway I am really focused for tomorrow for the race and try to do my best also for the mechanics, who did an amazing job, because I destroyed the bike completely. And they repaired the bike and I had a completely new bike. ”
MotoGP has reportedly sought to be stricter with its evaluation of injuries – and, particularly, concussions – for 2022, and a concussion did rule out Marc Marquez from the Mandalika race back in March.
Fernandez is due to test the Aprilia bike for the first time in Tuesday’s post-season test, and said he “isn’t thinking” about the test or how the crash could impact it but rather just about concluding his Tech3 KTM stint on the best note.
