Davide Rigon will not be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a result of his heavy crash in the recent Spa 24 Hours.
The Italian driver was entered to drive the #52 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo alongside Miguel Molina and Daniel Serra, but has decided to follow doctor’s advice and not take part at Le Mans.
Rigon was involved in a major, multi-car incident in the opening laps of the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, which saw both himself and Jack Aitken hospitalised.
As a precaution following the heavy accident, the decision has been made for Rigon to not compete in the 89th running of the French endurance classic.
“Davide Rigon will not be at the start of the forthcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans due to repercussions from the accident in which he was involved during the Spa 24 Hours,” Ferrari wrote in a statement.
“After returning to Italy, the driver underwent further consultations with the doctors who oversee Competizioni GT drivers who suggested lengthening the period of convalescence that the driver from Veneto is currently undertaking. The decision will force Rigon to miss out on the approaching 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
Rigon himself reacted to the news in a post on social media, stating:
“With great regret, I will not be able to be at Le Mans driving the No. 52. Together with the doctors and Ferrari, we made this difficult decision.
“Right now I’m working to get back to 100 percent as soon as possible. I wish my teammates and the whole team good luck.”
A decision for a replacement driver has not currently been made. Ferrari says a replacement will be announced in the current days, with Sam Bird a likely candidate.
Bird was formerly a part of the Italian manufacturer’s full-season FIA WEC squad before shifting his focus to Formula E.
He is currently competing in the season finale in Berlin with Jaguar, one of several drivers with Le Mans duties that have been forced to forego their Test Day appearance in order to race in Germany.
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