Mir Absent After Concerning Blood Results
Joan Mir will not start the Austrian Grand Prix. After withdrawing from Sunday's Misano race, the Honda HRC rider travelled to Barcelona for medical evaluation. The results were troubling enough for his medical team to rule out Spielberg: blood work revealed altered parameters requiring further investigation and testing. Honda has not disclosed the nature of the abnormality beyond confirming that Mir's doctors advised him to sit out Austria. Takaaki Nakagami will replace him aboard the HRC Castrol machine at the Red Bull Ring.
Nakagami's substitution carries a dual purpose. The Japanese veteran was already scheduled to participate in Monday's post-race 850cc test at Spielberg as part of Honda's development programme for next season. Stepping in for the Grand Prix itself allows him to continue building 1,000cc seat time ahead of a planned wildcard appearance at the Japanese Grand Prix on 2 October — a home event that carries particular significance for HRC.
Ogura Targets Comeback, Medical Check Looms
Ai Ogura's Austria weekend begins before the first lap turns. The Trackhouse MotoGP rider must pass a mandatory medical examination on Thursday — today — before he is cleared to race. Ogura fractured his first right metacarpal, near the thumb, during training in Japan and underwent surgery at a Barcelona clinic on 27 August. He missed the British Grand Prix after a crash, then sat out both Aragon and Misano, slipping from second in the championship to sixth with 71 points now separating him from leader Márquez.
"I think the hand situation is better than I expected a week ago," Ogura said ahead of his assessment. The Trackhouse team has confirmed he will make the trip to Spielberg with the aim of racing, "provided he passes the mandatory medical assessment with the Championship medical staff." A clean bill of health would give him his first race since Silverstone and the chance to begin recovering ground in the standings before the flyaway swing to Asia.
Viñales Sidelined Again, Espargaró Steps In
Maverick Viñales continues to sit out races. The Tech3 KTM rider missed the Sachsenring, Silverstone, Aragon and Misano rounds with a shoulder problem traced back to a crash at the 2025 German Grand Prix. Scans at Red Bull's Athlete Performance Centre revealed a small tear in the infraspinatus muscle. There has been no indication that the Austrian Grand Prix will be different.
Pol Espargaró, who replaced Viñales at previous rounds, continues in the seat at Spielberg. The veteran Spaniard impressed during his substitute appearances, making the most of a familiar motorcycle platform. Tech3 anticipates Viñales will return for the Japanese Grand Prix on 2 October, though that timetable remains subject to medical review.
The Wider Injury Picture
Austria therefore opens with three disrupted factory or satellite seats before practice has even begun. Mir's blood-work concern adds an element of uncertainty beyond the usual physical knock — there is no injury timescale attached to medical investigations of this kind. Ogura's return would represent a boost for Trackhouse and for the championship picture, with the Japanese rider capable of scoring at circuits where experience matters. Viñales faces the prospect of returning to a calendar that offers only limited opportunities before the season closes in November.
MotoGP free practice begins on Friday morning at the Red Bull Ring. By then, Ogura's medical clearance — or otherwise — should be confirmed, giving the paddock its final Austria grid.