Tech 3 MotoGP rider Iker Lecuona will miss this weekend’s European Grand Prix due to forced quarantine in Andorra after his brother and assistant tested positive for COVID-19. Lecuona tested negative for the virus on Tuesday, but his brother whom Lecuona lives with in Andorra tested positive.
Due to legislation in Andorra, Lecuona has been forced into quarantine for the next 10 days despite testing negative for the virus himself. He will undergo a test next Wednesday, the results of which will determine if he is able to start next weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix. Tech 3 won’t replace him for this weekend’s first Valencia race.
“We are very sad to announce that Iker Lecuona won’t be participating in the Gran Premio de Europa this weekend,” Tech 3 team boss Herve Poncharal said.
“So far, he’s been tested negative, but his brother, who is also his assistant is positive and therefore the Andorran authorities have called him ‘contact case’. He will have another test today, but even if it’s negative again, he’s got to stay in quarantine without moving from his home in Andorra for 10 days.”
“The plan is to have another test next Wednesday and if this one is negative as well, he will be able to travel to Valencia and participate in Valencia II.”
“This is very unfortunate, everybody was very careful. We are deeply sorry for that. We just hope that Iker will keep negative on the next tests and that we can see him next week here.”
“Don’t forget, this is his home grand prix and him and the team were expecting so much from these two races, that it’s a real pity. But with how the world is at the moment, unfortunate things like this are happening.”
“Again, we hope everything will be back to normal next week, of course, he won’t be replaced for this event, therefore the whole Red Bull KTM Tech 3 team will concentrate on our sole rider, Miguel Oliveira.”
Lecuona made his MotoGP debut at Valencia last year in place of the injured Miguel Oliveira. The Spaniard may be the second rider forced to miss this weekend’s race due to COVID-19, after Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi returned a positive PCR test on Tuesday.
Yamaha is yet to reveal if the test he took on Wednesday returned negative, but have lined up American World Superbike rider Garrett Gerloff to take his place should Rossi be ruled out again having missed the Aragon double-header.
