2006 MotoGP champion and World Superbikes racer Nicky Hayden will replace the injured Jack Miller for the Aragon Grand Prix.
Miller was forced to skip the Austin MotoGP race after picking up a wrist injury during Austrian Grand Prix warm-up, which also saw him miss the following event in the Czech Republic.
He returned to racing at Silverstone but was then ruled out of Misano due to the wrist injury. He will also miss the race at the Motorland Aragon circuit.
Marc VDS has confirmed that Hayden will return to MotoGP as Miller’s replacement. He has 216 starts, three wins and a title to his name, having raced in the MotoGP series between 2003 and 2015.
“First of all I want to wish Jack a speedy recovery,” he said. “He is a buddy of mine and he is a rider I believe in a lot, so I hope he can get healthy as quickly as possible to show the high potential we all know he has got.
“He just needs to get his body right so he can perform. This is an unusual experience for me because I’ve never been a stand-in rider before.
“But I have a good relationship with Honda and when the idea first came up they were behind it and Ten Kate gave me their blessing, so it is nice to go and help out another Honda team.
“For me it's just a chance to go and have fun. I know MotoGP is not a place that’s always easy to have fun because the level is so high but I’ve got a lot to learn and it won’t be a walk in the park.
“I haven’t ridden the bike and there are different tyres and electronics but I’ve got a lot of experience and I get another shot at MotoGP, which is great for me personally.”
Discussion about this post