Overview
- LCR confirmed on Thursday that Cal Crutchlow will ride the team’s RC213V at the Italian Grand Prix as a stand‑in for Johann Zarco.
- Zarco is awaiting surgery for torn knee ligaments and a lower fibula injury sustained in the Catalan GP and will miss Mugello with an undefined recovery timeline.
- Crutchlow earned the call‑up after a Misano test that proved he could physically handle the bike, and he says his priority is improving session by session rather than targeting top results.
- Marc Márquez has passed a pre‑race medical and is cleared to start the Mugello weekend but must be reassessed after first practice and says he is focused on rebuilding fitness rather than chasing the title.
- Álex Márquez remains sidelined with a broken collarbone and C7 vertebra injury and will be replaced by Michele Pirro in Italy, a sign that manufacturer test schedules and other rider injuries are stretching teams’ replacement options and altering short‑term plans.