Joan Mir Ruled Out of Australian Grand Prix

Joan Mir will miss the Australian Grand Prix, leaving Luca Marini as Honda HRC Castrol’s only rider at Phillip Island, the team confirmed October 21. Mir’s medical team considered the race too early for his return and will continue assessing his condition.

Honda development rider Aleix Espargaro is also unavailable. The team said he experienced chronic exertional compartment syndrome during a private test at Sepang and would undergo surgery in Barcelona. He had voluntarily withdrawn from the Indonesian Grand Prix.

MotoGP’s announcement confirmed that Mir would not be replaced in Australia. Marini therefore takes the factory team’s sole entry into the weekend, rather than sharing the garage with a stand-in.

Marini enters the round 12th in the championship, 17 points outside the top 10, according to Honda. He finished inside the top 10 in both Phillip Island races last year. The team did not announce a confirmed return date for Mir.