Brno MotoGP: Nerve problem sidelines Marco Melandri in Brno

Luckless Italian Marco Melandri has missed this afternoon’s second MotoGP free practice session in Brno after suffering a lack of feeling in his left arm. Doctors believe the problem has been caused by nerve damage in his left shoulder, likely to be a legacy of his massive crash in last month’s Laguna Seca MotoGP. 

Melandri was undergoing lengthy treatment in the Clinica Mobile while this afternoon’s session took place.

The Italian, who recently signed a deal to join Casey Stoner in Ducati’s factory team for 2008, completed 18 laps this morning, but on returning to his Gresini Honda garage the nerve problem was so severe he couldn’t even take off his own helmet.

Marco Melandri, who only declared himself fit for the Czech Republic MotoGP two days ago after breaking his ankle in Laguna Seca, has been told it could be 12 hours before doctors will be able to determine whether he is fit to contest Sunday’s 22-lap race.

A Gresini Honda team spokesman told MCN: “Marco has a lot of pain and no feeling or power in his left hand and arm.

“It seems to be a nerve problem because he can’t even move his head and this morning he couldn’t take off his helmet because it was so bad.

“It could be something that happened in the big crash in Laguna Seca, or could be the result of repeated trauma in the neck area from crashes like in Barcelona last year.”