Joan Mir will miss this weekend’s Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring after medical checks following his Misano retirement called for further investigation. The HRC rider pulled out of Sunday’s Grand Prix on lap six and then travelled to Barcelona for examinations.

Honda HRC said the examinations found “altered parameters in the blood”. With no clear diagnosis available, Mir’s medical team has advised him to concentrate on recovery and withdraw from the Austrian round while additional tests and studies are carried out.

HRC test rider Takaaki Nakagami will take Mir’s place at Honda HRC Castrol alongside Luca Marini. Fresh from a Mugello test, Nakagami will ride the RC213V at Spielberg. His race appearance gives Honda another opportunity to continue work with its 1,000cc machine, while also supporting preparation for his #30 wildcard at the Japanese GP.

Nakagami had already been scheduled to attend Monday’s post-race test, so the Austrian weekend adds track time ahead of that session. His latest MotoGP race appearance came at Motegi last season. Since then, he has focused on developing Honda’s 850cc prototype with Pirelli tyres.