Tulovic ended up in hospital with burns after the Most podium ceremony

Although Lukas Tulovic had secured a one-two finish at Most following a brilliant tactical display, relegating Florian Alt to second place, a glance at the defending champion’s face quickly made it clear that there was more to it than ‘just’ the heat. The thermometer had read over 40 degrees at the start of the race, with the tarmac glowing at 70 degrees in places. Conditions that pushed both man and machine to their limits.

In Lukas Tulovic’s case, it was unclear whether the beads of sweat on his forehead were due to the exertion or the pain he was suppressing in his calf. “The second half of the race was nothing but pain,” he admitted. “The Ducati engine block is very close to my calf.” In the scorching temperatures at Most, even the airflow at well over 200 km/h offers no relief.

Once Tulovic had taken off his leather suit, the cause of the pain and its full extent became apparent. “He had to be taken to hospital with moderate burns,” confirmed his team boss Matthias Moser. Lukas Tulovic is currently still receiving treatment there.