No fewer than 24 riders feature on the entry list for next week’s Catalan Grand Prix, with Maverick Vinales the highest-profile name after an earlier attempted return to MotoGP racing was cut short.
The Red Bull Tech3 KTM rider injured his left shoulder at the German GP, which led him undergoing surgery, missing the Brno round. Vinales attempted to take part in the Austrian GP but gave up on Saturday and withdrew from the Hungarian weekend too. Now, the Catalan will try again at his home grand prix at Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Idemitsu LCR-Honda's Somkiat Chantra, who injured himself in early July while training on a dirt bike and has been sidelined since then, will also make a comeback. On top of the four grands prix he has missed, he previously skipped the Le Mans round due to surgery for an arm-pump syndrome. Chantra will have a final medical check-up on Monday before testing a road bike on Tuesday.
Chantra already knows this will be both his first and last season with the LCR team, as he will move to World Superbike and be replaced by promising youngster Diogo Moreira.
Finally, two wildcards will be on the grid: Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori and Honda’s Aleix Espargaro.
Savadori has been a regular this season as Jorge Martin’s replacement, with a highest finish of ninth at Le Mans, but the reigning world champion has now recovered from his injuries.
Espargaro will take part in his fourth grand prix this season, having raced at Jerez, Silverstone and Assen without scoring a point. He could have replaced Chantra in Austria and Hungary but for a cycling injury.
