Stefan Bradl Will Replace the Injured Cal Crutchlow at Malaysian GP

Stefan Bradl is to replace Cal Crutchlow on the LCR Honda at the next round of MotoGP at Sepang, this next race weekend. As HRC’s official test rider, Bradl was the easy choice to take the place of the injured Crutchlow.

Crutchlow was ruled out of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix after a huge crash at Turn 1 during FP2 on Friday. His right leg took a beating in the fall, fracturing his ankle in three places.

Crutchlow was flown to Melbourne, where an external cage was placed on his ankle to fix the bones in place while the swelling subsides. Crutchlow is due for further surgery on Thursday to have the bones plated.

That rules Crutchlow out of the race at Sepang, and makes him doubtful for the Valencia race in three weeks’ time.

A decision on Valencia will not be made until much nearer the event, but it is conceivable that Crutchlow will decide to sit out the race, and focus on being fit for the last test of the year at Jerez at the end of November.

Stefan Bradl will take the place of Cal Crutchlow in the LCR Honda team at Sepang, and if the Englishman is not fit to race at Valencia, then at the final race as well.

Bradl would have been present at Valencia anyway, both because of TV duties with the Austrian Servus TV, and for the first post-season test at Valencia on the Tuesday and Wednesday after the race.

There is some small irony in Bradl being drafted in to replace Crutchlow at LCR. Crutchlow took the place of the German in the LCR Honda team at the end of the 2014, when team boss Lucio Cecchinello decided to gamble on the Englishman, rather than continue with Bradl.