Alex Rins is set to miss the upcoming British Grand Prix as he continues to recover from a broken leg, with Iker Lecuona or Stefan Bradl set to stand-in.
The LCR Honda racer was discharged from hospital at the end of last month so he could head home to Andorra and continue his rehabilitation with hopes he may be fit enough to ride at Silverstone, though according to team boss Lucio Ceccinello in an interview with Speedweek Rins can only begin to walk again in the first week of August – the same week of the British GP.
He will therefore look to make his competition return at either the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian GP at the end of June, or failing that the subsequent outing in Barcelona at the start of September.
“Alex Rins will not compete in Silverstone,” said Cecchinello.
“His recovery is making very good progress. But I don’t know when he’ll be able to race again and when he’ll come back.”
“Then Alex can put weight on his broken leg again for the first time. He will then be allowed to take his first steps for the first time since the accident.
“If he feels good, he will return in Spielberg on August 20th or in Barcelona on September 3rd. We don’t know that yet.”
His replacement will likely be Honda test rider Stefan Bradl as Iker Lecuona – who has deputised for both Marc Marquez and Joan Mir at the factory Honda outfit so far this term – is set to be busy competing with Honda at the Suzuka 8 Hours on a Fireblade superbike.
Ceccinello confirmed to Speedweek that Lecuona could still be a potential option for the squad at Silverstone should he be able to be replaced for the Suzuka event.
The injured Tetsuta Nagashima – who won the prestigious race alongside Lecuona and Takumi Takahashi last year – is likely to be the main option should he recover in time for the race, the Japanese pilot having taken part in a test session at Suzuka two weeks ago where he showed strong performance.
“That is (Lecuona at LCR for Silverstone) one of the possibilities, but I still have to clarify a few open points with Lecuona’s manager,” added Ceccinello.
