(Reuters) - Spanish MotoGP rider Tito Rabat will return to Europe for surgery after breaking his hand in a crash during the first pre-season test in Malaysia on Tuesday.
The Marc VDS Honda rider, the 2014 Moto2 world champion, was taken to hospital in Putrajaya with a fractured right hand, a lacerated left knee and injuries to two toes on his left foot.
The turn 11 crash near the end of the rain-hit session brought out red flags at the Sepang circuit on the second day of testing.
"Rabat will return to Europe for treatment and rehabilitation in a bid to be fit for the next MotoGP test at Phillip Island (Australia), which starts on 15th February," the team said in a statement.
Italian Andrea Iannone was fastest overall for Suzuki, with Yamaha's Spanish rider Maverick Vinales second on the timesheets.
The season starts in Qatar on March 26.