Fernandez out of Sepang MotoGP test again with new injury

Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez has been forced to withdraw from the Sepang MotoGP test for a second year running.

A crash early on during the opening day of collective running wrote off Fernandez's Aprilia RS-GP and left the rider himself with what was quickly confirmed as a fractured metacarpal in his left hand and a fractured little toe in his left foot.

While the toe was of little concern in terms of being fit to ride, the hand fracture means Fernandez will not ride in the rest of the test.

That means he's been limited to just 25 laps, and comes exactly a year after a different injury - fractures to the pelvis and hip - took him out of last year's pre-season three-day Sepang test on the opening day.

Much of Fernandez's MotoGP career so far has been impacted by injuries and fitness concerns, and bad crashes in testing have been a particular trend, stating with a head bruise as a rookie gearing up for his competitive debut in 2022.

Fernandez's newest injury means he is at the very least also in doubt for the second pre-season test, in Buriram just a week from now, and is at risk of coming into the season severely underprepared relative to his peers.