Lorenzo Escapes After Massive Crash
Factory Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo escaped further injuries after crashing heavily in the afternoon session, after a suspected mechanical failure at the end of the Chang circuit’s kilometre-long first straight.
Lorenzo Escapes After Massive Crash
Already carrying right foot injuries after crashing at the first corner a fortnight ago at the Aragon GP, Lorenzo was thrown violently as his Ducati appeared to lock its rear wheel, snapping sideways at some 80 mph as he braked from top speed.
He arced through the air and landed on his right side, as his bike disassembled its bodywork in his wake. Immediately clutching his right foot and trying to remove the boot, Lorenzo was stretchered off the track and taken to the medical centre.
In Spain he had dislocated his big toe and fractured the metatarsal of his second toe in a crash he blamed on a dangerous block-pass by future Honda team-mate Marc Marquez; and until this morning’s first free practice he was still using crutches.
He was cleared of further fractures at the medical centre, where contusion to his right ankle and left wrist were the worst injuries diagnosed, and he was passed fit to continue to take part in the race, although he was also taken by road to Buriram Hospital for precautionary further investigation.
Soon after his tumble, which removed the seat unit and airbox cover (dummy fuel tank) from his bike, Xavier Simeon fell at the same place, and though he was unhurt the session was red-flagged to clear debris from the Turn Three hairpin.
Meanwhile, the Ducati team were seeking the cause of the crash. On-board footage revealed that the engine revs suddenly dropped just before the bike slid sideways, and while it didn’t sound as abrupt as an engine seize, a faulty engine-braking system was a possible culprit. This system assists the slipper clutch in preventing rear-wheel lock-up when the throttle is closed.
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