After a crash near the start of the then red-flagged British GP, Avintia Racing rider Loris Baz will be unable to take part in the upcoming Gran Premio TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini - with his replacement revealed as Barni Racing's WorldSBK rider Xavi Fores.

Fores, who got some fantastic results on his Panigale R at the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round of WorldSBK earlier in the season, will be drafted in to return to Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli this weekend, joining fellow WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes on the MotoGP™ grid as both take on replacement duties.

“I'm very happy that Avintia Racing have given me this opportunity," said Spaniard Fores. "I'm sure it's going to be a great experience. My intention is just to enjoy it as much as I can, leave pressure at home and not go out there with anything to prove, because it's a completely different bike to what I've ridden so far. We need to be aware that everything is going to be new to me and I just want to enjoy it! As with every rider, the chance to get on a MotoGP bike is gratifying, and I think this weekend I will have a great experience. It will be important to not make any mistakes and to not hurt myself because soon I'll be back on track with WorldSBK in Germany. So I will treat this weekend like a private test, and try and enjoy riding a MotoGP bike. Misano is also a circuit that I like, that we recently visited in WorldSBK and at which I got some of my best results of the World Superbike season. That makes it the ideal place to start work with an unknown bike. I want to thank Avintia Racing for the chance, Ducati, and especially my team Barno Racing for letting me race. And of course, I wish Loris a quick recovery - I promise I will look after your Ducati!"

"It's a real shame and something I wasn't expecting, but once I arrived in Switzerland I had an x-ray and they found some fractures in my right foot," added Baz, a former protagonist of the WorldSBK paddock. "The two main ones are in my talus bone and at the bottom of my femur. It can't be operated on, it needs time and rest. Therefore it will be impossible to race in Misano. But I still consider myself lucky to not have suffered anything worse in the crash at Silverstone. It's really bad for the team because we were doing really well and getting better and better. It's a shame, but I'll try and come back as soon as possible to finish the season the best I can. It has been another setback after what happened in Mugello, but I have to be positive and look forward. I hope Xavi enjoys it a lot this weekend. MotoGP machines are incredible and I'm sure he'll do great. As well as that, he has an amazing team, and I'll be there to try and give him some good advice. I'm sure he'll enjoy it!"