MotoGP, analysis of the most common rider injuries

Motorsports are of course more dangerous than some other sports and riders can have a tough time dealing with injury. Sooner or later a rider will crash (and some more than others), as a result of human error, technical problems or simply the desire to push the bike to the limits to make the difference. All the suits are equipped with airbags that protect riders very well, but injuries are a part of this sport and we’ve seen a fair number this year, also considering the additional Sprint races.

In the upper body, a fractured collarbone is most common

One of the most frequent injuries among riders is a fractured collarbone. The latest MotoGP rider to suffer was Luca Marini, after he crashed on the first lap of the Sprint race in India. This injury usually requires surgery and has a recovery time of several weeks. Several riders have dealt with this injury in the past, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo and Pol Espargaró among others.

The shoulder blade is another part of the body that can sustain damage, depending on the crash. It was exactly this kind of injury that saw Enea Bastianini’s season get off to an uphill start, after he crashed in the first Sprint of the year, at Portimao. Miguel Oliveira suffered the same fate in Qatar, the injury putting a premature end to his 2023 season.

Tibia and fibula also at risk

Other pretty frequent injuries among riders concern the tibia and fibula, which can force riders to miss multiple races, depending on the severity of the fracture. Alex Rins sustained a particularly complicated fracture at Mugello that saw him sit out nine races in all. In 2010, Valentino Rossi suffered a compound fracture at Mugello but was quickly competitive again when he returned three rounds later.

Generally speaking, feet and shoulders can also be subject to fractures, depending on the violence with which a rider hits the gravel or asphalt. Marc Marquez’s 2020 injury for example, to his right shoulder, following a terrible high-speed crash at the Jerez circuit.