Francesco Bagnaia undergoes successful surgery on double foot fracture

Italian MotoGP rider Francesco Bagnaia successfully underwent surgery to repair a double fracture in his right foot, sustained during a crash at the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday. The surgery, performed in Turin, involved attaching a plate to the fourth metatarsal of his right foot. He will begin rehabilitation as soon as possible, with the goal of returning to competition in time for the upcoming Portuguese Grand Prix on 20-22 November, according to team manager Davide Tardozzi.

The initial target was to have Bagnaia at the Portuguese Grand Prix, with Valencia as a fallback option if he couldn't recover in time. The incident occurred when Bagnaia was outbraked by Fermin Aldeguer, causing him to fly through the air and land heavily on the track. He was conscious after the crash and taken to a hospital in Doha for medical evaluation.

Preliminary checks confirmed the double fracture in his foot, leading to his exclusion from Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix. The surgery was successful, with the Ducati team confirming the stabilization of one of the fractures. Bagnaia's progress over the next few days will determine the exact timeline for his return to track action.