Overview
- Zarco suffered major left-knee trauma when his leg became trapped in Francesco Bagnaia’s rear wheel during the Catalan GP restart in May, with early scans indicating damage to multiple ligaments and the medial meniscus.
- On July 1 Zarco was examined by knee specialist Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet in Lyon, and follow-up imaging taken after the swelling subsided gave a clearer picture of the injuries.
- The Castrol Honda LCR team said the MCL is healing well, the PCL is showing encouraging recovery, the ACL remains torn, and doctors are now recommending non-surgical rehabilitation rather than immediate surgery.
- Surgery had been delayed earlier because a burn-like wound on Zarco’s knee raised the risk of infection, and the rider’s steady progress in training helped make a conservative approach viable.
- Cal Crutchlow will continue to deputise for LCR at the German GP in Sachsenring and likely beyond while Zarco targets a return in September, a timeline that would rule him out of the Silverstone and Aragon rounds and leave Misano as a possible comeback venue.