Taiyo Furusato will miss the opening Moto3 round in Qatar. The young Japanese rider who competes for team Asia will begin his first season in the world championship a little later than planned due to an injury to his right ankle that he sustained during private tests last week at Jerez de la Frontera. An injury that also forced him to miss the latest official tests at Portimão, in order to undergo surgery in Barcelona.

The operation, carried out by Dr. Jordi Vega, went according to plan and number 72 can now start his rehabilitation, but he will be unable to line up on the grid for the first race on 6 March. This means that the team headed up by Hiroshi Aoyama may only field Mario Aji during the opening round.

Double disappointment

And, to add insult to injury, this means that Furusato will also miss out on racing at one of the few tracks he knows well, considering that he competed in (and won) four races at the Qatari track last season. Taiyo is therefore in for something of an uphill climb as he sets out with the goal of becoming 2022 Rookie of the Year.

Translated by Heather Watson

MotoGP, Yamaha: riders dissatisfied following the tests, is it time to worry?