Source: Supplied.

Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone has been forced out of the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano after sustaining a fractured vertebra on Friday.

After a crash yesterday in which he suffered a small fracture to his third thoracic vertebra, Iannone went for another check-up at the Misano circuit’s medical centre this morning.

Due to his condition, the rider from Abruzzo was not given the all-clear by the doctors to continue and will unfortunately have to miss his home GP.

“I feel pretty bad about the way everything went because this morning I felt that I could try and get back on the bike,” Iannone said. “I knew that it was going to be tough and maybe that I couldn’t continue, but I wanted to try in any case.

“Unfortunately I was halted by the doctors’ verdict before I was able to try. Obviously I am very disappointed, because this is our home race and I had high expectations.

“In any case I want to say hello and thanks to all my fans for the support they have shown me and I hope to be able to give them some more good results in the next few races.”

In his place, Ducati factory test rider Michele Pirro set fifth quickest time today in qualifying. He had been entered as a wildcard on the Ducati Test Team’s Desmosedici GP, but stepped onto Iannone’s bike as replacement rider.