Pepe Oriola set to skip Friday testing following foot injury

Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Pepe Oriola is set to skip this afternoon’s free testing session at the Buriram circuit in Thailand following a foot injury he sustained during training.

The 2015 championship runner-up is just one point behind arch rival Stefano Comini in the drivers’ standings heading into this weekend, but will be on the back foot, so to speak, after a weight fell on his foot in training, which means the 22-year-old is hobbling outside of the car.

“I’ll do everything possible to get a positive result in Buriram, a track where I was one of the fastest drivers last year,” said Oriola to sport.es. “The injury of my foot was caused by a fallen weight while training for this important event.

“I’ve received a medical discharge and I can accelerate. Despite the pain, I’ll put full effort on the track because the championship is at stake.”

With Oriola sitting out the test, and with Michela Cerruti’s car withdrawn from the weekend, 24 cars are expected on track in the four-hour test this afternoon.