Randy de Puniet has withdrawn from the United States Grand Prix following his crash in qualifying. The Frenchman had hoped to run in the warm-up at Laguna Seca this morning before making a final decision about his participation in the race, but ultimately opted to pull out.
De Puniet had sustained fractures to two bones in his back and a suspected crack to a bone in his hip when he fell at Turn 5 yesterday. The time he had set prior to the incident was still good enough for 15th on the grid.
There will still be a 17-bike field despite de Puniet's withdrawal, due to the extra LCR Honda entry for America's Ben Bostrom this weekend.