Bastianini injury update - avoids surgery, plots comeback…

The factory Ducati rider was sent flying off his bike in the first-ever MotoGP sprint race at Portimao last weekend by Luca Marini.

He suffered a broken shoulder blade, missed the full-length Portuguese MotoGP and was soon ruled out of this weekend’s Argentina MotoGP.

It is now confirmed that Bastianini’s injury doesn’t require surgery, so he hopes to return to action at COTA on April 14, the third round of the 2023 season.

Bastianini is one of four riders to be missing in Argentina for the second round.

Marc Marquez, Miguel Oliveira and Pol Espargaro are also unavailable after paying a heavy physical toll on a chaotic weekend in Portimao.

As well as the punishing physical cost, missing riders have also suffered a major setback in their quest to become 2023 champion.

Francesco Bagnaia, the defending champion, got off to a perfect start by claiming a maximum 37 points in Portimao by winning Saturday and Sunday’s races. He now goes to Argentina knowing some of his title rivals are absent and cannot gain ground on him.