Suzuka over for Lennox Lehmann: Complicated fracture requires surgery

The 8 Hours of Suzuka has come to a premature end for Lennox Lehmann. The 20-year-old from Dresden suffered a heavy crash during free practice on Friday and will be unable to compete in the third round of the Endurance World Championship (EWC). Instead, the Yamaha rider from Motobox Kremer Racing has already set off for home to undergo an operation in Germany.

And yet the race weekend had got off to a promising start. Together with his team-mates Dirk Geiger and Twan Smits, Lehmann completed successful test sessions at the Suzuka Circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, the shock came during Friday’s free practice.

Unusual crash: liquid on the track?

On the start-finish straight, Lehmann was thrown from his Yamaha at top speed in a highside crash. As crashes at this spot are extremely unusual, it seems likely that there was liquid on the track. The Saxon rider rolled over several times and skidded across the tarmac at high speed. His leather suit and helmet were completely destroyed in the crash.

Despite the violent impact, Lehmann was very lucky. He fell at the edge of the track, was not hit by any following riders and was able to reach the safety zone under his own steam.

The initial diagnosis revealed a fracture of the little finger on his right hand. Nevertheless, Lehmann decided to get back on his motorbike. Despite the pain, he completed the second qualifying session to support his team in their bid for a good starting position.

Examinations after qualifying led to the race being cancelled

It was only after extensive discussions with his doctor and the physiotherapists that the final decision was made not to start the race. Further examinations revealed that the fracture was more complicated than initially thought and would require surgery in the near future.

“The disappointment is, of course, huge, but health comes first in this case,” said Lehmann. “Apologies to the whole team that I can’t take part in the race. Twan and Dirk will still give it their all and hopefully score some important points for the championship.”

This means that the Dresden-based rider will begin his rehabilitation straight away. “I’m heading straight to hospital on Monday for the operation so I can get fit again as quickly as possible.” This setback comes at an inopportune time for Lehmann. Following his strong performance in the Euro Moto at Most, he had hoped to gain further valuable experience at the very top international level at the Suzuka 8 Hours. Now, the focus is first and foremost on making a full recovery so that he can return to racing as soon as possible.