(Reuters) – Honda’s factory team will have no riders in Sunday’s Argentina Grand Prix after Joan Mir was forced to withdraw with injuries following a crash in Saturday’s sprint, his team said.
Honda were already without six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez after he injured his hand in a crash at the season-opening Portuguese Grand Prix.
Mir, world champion in 2020 with Suzuki, crashed on the opening lap of Saturday’s sprint, sustaining ankle, head and neck injuries.
“After a morning medical check, Joan Mir was declared unfit for the Argentina GP by MotoGP and circuit medical staff due to cranial and cervical trauma,” Honda said in a statement.
“Cervical physiological lordosis was confirmed and Mir continued to experience feelings of nausea and dizziness.”
Honda said Mir would return to Europe to continue his recovery and prepare for the Grand Prix of the Americas from April 14–16.
Pol Espargaro, Miguel Oliveira and Enea Bastianini are also unable to race in Argentina due to injuries suffered in crashes during the opening weekend of the season.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)