It is being reported that John Hopkins, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP rider, has at least one significant ligament tear in his right wrist, but no broken bones. Although good news, a torn ligament in the wrist can take as long as a broken bone to heal, or even longer.
Fortunately, the MotoGP series does not reconvene to race until April 22nd in Turkey — a four week break that should allow Hopkins to at least ride with less pain during the next round. Hopkins’ wrist was severely swollen during the prior MotoGP race weekend in Jerez where a crash during the race (which fortunately did not further injure his wrist) forced Hopkins to remount and finish in 19th place with no points.
Racing in the premier class since 2002, Hopkins has struggled with less than competitive equipment from employer Suzuki. This year, Suzuki has shown great improvement, and has hopes of putting Hopkins on the podium with some frequency. Hopkins is a tough rider that often rides with injuries that would sideline others. The wrist he injured during the off season has undoubtedly been quite painful during practices and racing, yet Hopkins nearly reached the podium during the opening round in Qatar (finishing fourth) and showed good speed in Jerez before his crash spoiled a good result.
