Injured Pol Espargaro set for sidelines but “he’ll come back to a normal life”

• Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao - Sprint Race Results
• Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao - Full Qualifying Results

Espargaro suffered a fractured his jaw, fractured his dorsal vertebrae, and suffered a pulmonary contusion (a lung injury) during Friday practice at the Portuguese MotoGP.

The severity of his crash had everybody in the paddock concerned by Poncharal has issued a relatively calming update.

“Everybody was worried,” he said. “We have seen accidents like this that had a difficult outcome.

“To be positive? Pol will come back to a normal life, pretty soon. He will return to being a full-time MotoGP rider soon.

“Of course, he’s in pain. 

“We were really worried about his back. It is minor. His legs and arms are moving. His issue with his lungs makes it difficult to breathe properly but it will be 24-48 hours to recover.

“The biggest problem is his jaw. They are analysing whether he needs surgery or not.

“He will fly back to Barcelona, go to see a surgeon and doctors. Then we will issue a clearer statement on how long it will take to recover. I believe it will quite a while.”

It is “impossible” for Espargaro to return in time for next weekend’s Argentina MotoGP meaning Augusto Fernandez will be the sole Tech3 GASGAS rider.

A timeline for Espargaro’s comeback is unknown until he arrives home in Barcelona and undergoes further examinations.

Espargaro's high-speed crash in Portimao took him to the outside tyre barrier, and his RC16 followed him in.

MotoGP riders had, separately before the weekend, complained about the dangers of the gravel used at the Portimao circuit.

On Saturday, 24 hours after Espargaro's crash, Enea Bastianini broke his shoulder blade in an accident during the first-ever sprint race.