Hopkins will join the team for the next round of the season at Jerez in Spain as a replacement for Bautista – while the Spaniard continues on his road to recovery. Click to continue »

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista is recovering in the Hamad Medical Corporation Hospital in Doha, Losail after a successful operation to repair his broken left femur.

get well alvaro

Bautista crashed during yesterday’s final practice session and was immediately taken to the hospital after preliminary tests at the track showed that he had fractured his thigh bone. He spent a fairly comfortable – but painful – night in the hospital, before going for surgery this morning to re-align and pin the bone. He will be returning to Madrid as soon as his condition is stable enough to allow him to travel and will be immediately visiting renowned surgeon Dr. Angel Villamor to set about the first steps of his recuperation.

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista suffered a broken left femur from a fast crash in the closing stages of today’s third practice session in Qatar, which immediately ended his participation in this weekend’s first race.

Álvaro Bautista to miss Qatar MotoGP

Bautista landed heavily after high-siding at turn 15 and immediately looked in some serious discomfort. He was instantly taken to the circuit’s superb medical facilities and examined by members of the Clinica Mobile.

After a thorough examination, and some x-rays, he was diagnosed with a break to his left femur which will need to be pinned.

Bautista was immediately taken to the Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha for further tests, before a decision will be taken whether to operate in Qatar or for him to return to Spain.

The Japanese Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday 24th April has been postponed in light of the earthquake and Tsunami that struck the country last Friday.

Following a request to Dorna and the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) from the promoters of the Japanese Grand Prix, it has been decided to postpone the race until later in the season. The race will now take place on Sunday 2nd October, two weeks after the Aragon GP and a fortnight before the Australian GP.

This is the second year in succession that the Japanese Grand Prix has had to be re-arranged due to natural disasters, after the 2010 event was canceled from its original date due to the Icelandic volcano that erupted and caused flight cancellations due to the ash cloud.