Bastianini to return for Czech GP, injured Morbidelli and Vinales out
Bastianini, who joined Tech3 from Ducati last year, missed the entire German Grand Prix weekend after being hospitalised but is expected to return to the track on Friday.
"It was really tough for me to remain in bed for so long and unable to join the team at the German Grand Prix, but I gave myself the time to recover properly in order to arrive in Brno in good shape," Bastianini said in a statement.
Morbidelli crashed heavily on lap four of the German Grand Prix sprint where the Italian rider was thrown off his bike and sent tumbling across the gravel.
He was diagnosed with a severe contusion to the left collarbone and VR46 Racing said he would miss the Czech Grand Prix, with no replacement announced.
Red Bull KTM Tech3's Maverick Vinales in action during warm up ahead of the race. Reuters
"Following two days of medical checks, physiotherapy sessions and rest, we decided together with the team to miss this GP at Brno," said Morbidelli, who is fifth in the championship, 205 points behind leader Marc Marquez.
"It's always difficult to take decisions like this, but after a heavy crash like the one I had in Sachsenring - and in this moment of the championship before the summer break - it doesn't make any sense to take risks, because the pain is still persistent."
Spaniard Vinales underwent surgery on Sunday for a fractured left shoulder after he suffered a highside crash in qualifying, paving the way for compatriot Pol Espargaro to make his return with Tech3, a team he debuted with in MotoGP back in 2014.
"It's been a long time since our last visit to Brno, which is a fantastic track," said Espargaro, who has not raced in MotoGP for nearly a year after featuring as a wildcard for KTM last season.
"The last time we raced here I felt super-good in my best period with KTM so let's see how it is with the new surface."
The Czech Grand Prix will also mark the return of Aprilia's Jorge Martin after the reigning MotoGP champion recovered from injuries he suffered in a crash at the Qatar Grand Prix in April.
Reuters
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