What riders are back on MotoGP grid for Czech GP?

The upcoming Czech Grand Prix’s entry list has been revealed, with reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin set to return for just his second race weekend this season.

New Aprilia hire Martin missed the first three rounds after injuring his wrist in testing, then was even more seriously wounded in a Qatar GP crash with 11 fractured ribs and a pneumothorax. This was three months ago, and he has been ramping up his training for the upcoming Brno weekend – while set to settle in his contractual standoff with his new team.

KTM Tech3’s Enea Bastianini, who withdrew from last weekend’s German GP after being struck by appendicitis, and VR46’s Franco Morbidelli, who injured his collarbone in the sprint race at the Sachsenring, also feature on the list pending confirmation from their teams and still requiring the green light from doctors on Thursday.

Somkiat Chantra’s tricky maiden season in MotoGP continues, with Honda LCR’s Thai rider missing a third grand prix this year after Le Mans (arm pump surgery) and the Sachsenring. This time, Takaaki Nakagami will replace him, with the Japanese veteran previously racing as a Honda wildcard in France – taking sixth position – and for the HRC factory outfit at Assen.

Takaki Nakagami, HRC

Photo by: HRC

Another rider that definitely won’t race at Brno is Maverick Vinales, who fractured his left shoulder in a qualifying crash at the Sachsenring, missing both the German races and the Czech ones after a podiumless first 10 grands prix this year. Eight-time MotoGP podium finisher Pol Espargaro could replace him for another comeback in the world championship but hasn’t been named on the entry list yet.

Meanwhile, Yamaha has entered a fifth bike with test rider Augusto Fernandez as a wildcard. The 2022 Moto2 champion, who failed to record a single podium in his first two MotoGP campaigns, will take part in his fifth event this year, having also replaced Miguel Oliveira at Pramac – with his best Sunday results a pair of 13th-place finishes at Circuit of the Americas and Motorland Aragon.

Additional reporting by German Garcia Casanova

Augusto Fernandez, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Yamaha Motor Racing