Image: Supplied.

Last year’s Circuit of the Americas (COTA) MotoGP winner Enea Bastianini will be sidelined from this weekend’s third round of the 2023 championship at the venue, needing further time to recover from the right shoulder injury sustained in Portugal.

Following an impressive 2022 campaign that included multiple victories with Gresini Racing and a third-place result in the MotoGP World Championship, Bastianini was promoted to the factory Ducati Lenovo Team alongside reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia.

Unfortunately, Bastianini fell in the sprint race at Portimao after Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) collided with him on the second lap. He broke his right shoulder blade in the crash and was forced out of the Portuguese grand prix, then round two in Argentina as a result.

He completed laps at Misano on a Ducati Panigale V4S in the build-up to COTA to asses his fitness, with the decision made to sit out the third round and target a return at Jerez at the end of the month. He will be replaced this weekend by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro.

“After completing a few laps at Misano with the Panigale V4S, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider underwent a further check-up in Forlì at Dr Porcellini’s clinic, who confirmed that Bastianini will still need a few more weeks to fully recover from the right shoulder injury sustained in the Portuguese GP,” a statement from the Ducati Lenovo Team read.

“Enea will therefore continue his rehabilitation with the aim of returning to the track in Jerez and will be replaced in Texas by Michele Pirro.”