Qatar MotoGP, 19-20 March
Saturday 19 March: Qualifying: 1450-1805, BBC Red Button/online. Sunday 20 March: 125cc and Moto2: 1550-1805, BBC Red Button/online. MotoGP live: 1830-2000, BBC Two/online. MotoGP repeat: 0000-0130, BBC Two

Bautista is a former 125cc world champion

Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista will be replaced by John Hopkins as he recovers from his broken leg.

The Spaniard, his team's sole rider, broke his left thigh bone in a crash during Friday's final practice for Sunday's season-opening Qatar MotoGP.

The team failed to get a replacement rider for Sunday's race, with Hopkins unable to get to Qatar in time.

The American will join the team for the next round of the season at Jerez in early April as Bautista recovers.

Bautista, 26, is comfortable in hospital following the surgery to pin his left femur on Saturday morning and plans to return to Spain early next week to begin his recuperation.

Team manager Paul Denning said: "The 2011 season hasn't yet started and to have this huge disappointment already is very difficult to deal with.

"This sport is very extreme, and the edge between success and disaster is very small. We are all disappointed, but Bautista is the poor guy in hospital with a pin in his femur and a tough recuperation ahead.

"He has the strength of character and determination to come back from this, and on his behalf we'd like to thank everybody for their kind wishes and support."

Bautista had been 16th fastest of the 17 riders at the time of the fall.

Denning added: "John isn't happy with what happened to Alvaro, but I know he will do a solid job for us in Jerez, and we are hoping to arrange a shakedown test beforehand.

"Alvaro's comeback timing isn't clear, and John has British Superbike commitments that clash with Estoril and Le Mans, so we need to wait a while before any decisions for those races are made."

Californian Hopkins, 27, is an experienced rider, with stints in MotoGP - with Suzuki and Kawasaki - World Superbikes and American Superbikes under his belt.

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