27 May 2022 – Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello – Italy
Unfortunately, in the rest of the day, about 24 minutes from the end of FP2, our Japanese driver was the victim of a high side because of which he fell. The driver who followed him could not avoid the impact and Ayumu was hit with a hard blow on the helmet. Ayumu was taken to the medical center where various checks were made. Fortunately, he did not suffer severe damage to his limbs while suffering from severe neck pain. As a precautionary measure, he was taken to the nearby hospital for a CT scan.
It was a hard blow, since until then Ayumu scored the best time of free practice 2. In the combined ranking he was fourth with a time of 1’57.394 and a gap of 0.478 s. John was also very fast, in fact at the end of the two free practice rounds, he is third, with a time of 1’57.283. The British driver was also fast in the morning shift when he finished second. After his return to the track, which took place in the previous Grand Prix, John is becoming increasingly familiar with his bike, succeeding in expressing himself always at high levels.
The two free practice sessions were held with clear skies and a temperature that on the ground has reached 50 ºC. Here are the words of John and Max Biaggi our Team Owner.
JOHN MCPHEE : “Really nice to be back riding this amazing track. I enjoyed my first day here finishing 3rd in combined fp1+2. My pace feels good and my body condition is a little better than LeMans although still some restricted movement on the bike. Really excited for QP tomorrow and to keep working towards the race. I send my best wishes to Ayumu and hope to have him back as soon as possible.”
MAX BIAGGI – TEAM OWNER : “Seeing Ayumu’s crash today was terrible. Unfortunately, terrible memories come to mind. Luckily, there were no serious consequences. Ayumu was taken to the hospital for a more thorough check-up, so as to avoid further problems. I hope he’s okay!”
Results SHARK Grand Prix de France 2022 – Combined FP1 – FP2
1. Dennis FOGGIA (Honda) 1’56.916, 3. John MCPHEE (Husqvarna) 1’57.283, 4. Ayumu SASAKI (Husqvarna) 1’57.394.
