Francesco Bagnaia: Ducati rider fractures ankle in Le Mans crash but should recover for Italian MotoGP

Ducati have confirmed that rider Francesco Bagnaia suffered a fractured ankle in his collision with Maverick Vinales at the French MotoGP.

The pair touched and then crashed out as they both vied for P3 on the day in Le Mans.

Ducati expect Bagnaia to be fit enough to race at the upcoming Italian GP, however.

Their statement read: “As Bagnaia was still feeling some pain in his right ankle, after last Sunday’s crash in France, he underwent further checks in Misano, which found a small partial talus bone fracture.

“This minor injury will not prevent his participation in the next Italian GP.”

“A complete racing incident, really,” Laverty said.

“If you are going to apportion blame, it goes slightly on Pecco [Bagnaia] because he was behind. He had the choice not to lean in on top of Vinales.”

The current leader in the championship standings by a single point, Bagnaia can scarcely afford to miss his home race, which takes place on June 11 at Mugello.

He is the reigning champion at the circuit and another impressive display would be just what Ducati need after a frustrating season.

The Italian’s accident at Le Mans was just the latest mishap to affect Ducati in this season’s MotoGP.

Teammate Enea Bastianini has sat out the entire calendar so far with a shoulder injury.

A silver lining for Ducati is their impressive displays in the constructors standings. Five of the top six riders in the overall standings are riding Ducati bikes and that puts the Italian company clear at the top, 71 points ahead of KTM.