Following the Austrailian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, Finnish rider Mika Kallio announced that he would be leaving the Pramac Ducati team for the final 2 races of the season on medical grounds. Kallio has been suffering with shoulder problems since an accident at the Le Mans round of the championship.
Kallio will be returning to Finland for medical treatment and will be hoping to return to the championship next year.
“It’s since Japan that the pain in my left shoulder, injured at Le Mans, has become too intense.” said Kallio, in a statement issued by Pramac.“I immediately talked to the Team who understood my situation and agreed that I would try to race in Malaysia and Australia and then decide wether or not to continue or not in the last two races.”
He continued “Unfortunately, despite the good race today, the pain didn’t allow me to perform in the best way, and together with the Team, we decided to conclude our partnership today. It has been a hard choice for me, but in this way I’ll be able to find the best physical condition and think about my future.”
Kallio concluded, “I would like to thank Paolo Campinoti that was very helpful in managing this situation. I would like to also thank all the technical staff of the Pramac Racing Team with which I have found myself very well in these two years and I’ll always remember them with great affection.”
Team Principal Paolo Campinoti added, “I would never like to find myself in these situation, but when a rider ask you to not run because he cannot give 100% for the Team, you don’t any think to do more that accept his gesture of sincerity and go through that. We had accepted his request and I would like, on behalf of the Pramac Racing Team and our partners, to thank Mika and wish him a wonderful future full of happiness and success.”
And on the subject of a replacement he continued, “We are thinking about a substitute for the last two races of the year in Portugal and Spain, but in the following days, after we sign our agreement, we’ll officially announce him.”
