Factory Honda MotoGP rider Luca Marini has been seriously injured while testing for this year’s Suzuka 8 Hour, suffering significant injuries at the Japanese circuit following a crash on Wednesday.

“Having completed a successful first day, the Italian began the second day of his programme but crashed heavily,” said Honda in an official statement.

“Suffering from a dislocated left hip, damage to the ligaments in his left knee, fractures in the sternum and left collarbone, and a right-sided pneumothorax, Marini was transferred to local hospital and stabilised.

“Marini will remain under observation in Japan until he is deemed fit to travel.”

No further information has been released at this time by the team, but the factor of a pneumothorax – a punctured lung, one of the injuries also suffered by reigning world champion Jorge Martin at the Qatar GP last month – likely complicates his recovery by restricting Marini’s ability to fly home immediately.

Marini had traveled straight from last weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone to Suzuka alongside LCR Honda racer Johann Zarco, who won last year’s race for the factory HRC team alongside Takumi Takahashi and Teppei Nagoe, and who will return to action again this year.

Marini is currently the second-best Honda in the championship after the first seven rounds of the season.

The Italian sits 13th in the standings on 38 points and a best result of eighth.

Honda has not officially confirmed that a stand-in will be required for Marini in MotoGP but considering the extent of his injuries and the fact the next race is in 10 days’ time it seems inevitable that it will.

In that scenario it is likely that test rider and race winner Aleix Espargaro, who has already made two wildcard appearances for Honda this year, will be drafted in.