Jesko Raffin will not compete in the Czech Grand Prix this weekend. As long as it is not clear what causes the dizziness and extreme fatigue that the Swiss suffers from, it is not responsible to race. NTS RW Racing GP has hired Dominique Aegerter as a replacement for at least Brno.
“Jesko Raffin is unfortunately unable to ride at the moment,” explains NTS RW Racing GP team manager Jarno Janssen. “It is not clear exactly what is wrong with him, and as long as that is not known, it is not responsible to put him on the bike. We are pleased to have found an experienced rider as Dominique Aegerter as a replacement.”
Raffin already had to withdraw from the race of the GP of Andalucia. What initially looked like heatstroke seems to be something else, but what exactly is not clear.
“After ten minutes of effort, I'm exhausted and I see black spots,” says Raffin. “My blood values seem to be okay, which puzzles the doctors. They have not yet been able to find the cause and as long as that is not clear, we can’t work on a solution. In the coming days I will undergo more tests. Everything is being looked at: allergies, Pfeiffer, Lyme… I hope I can be back in Austria, but I am happy that NTS RW Racing GP in Domi Aegerter has found a good replacement.”
The 29-year-old Dominique Aegerter, a compatriot of Raffin, has ten years of experience in Moto2, took the podium seven times in that class and won the MotoE race two weeks ago in Jerez.
“We are pleased with the quick response of Aegerter,” says Janssen. “It’s good to have an experienced rider who can give us a lot of information. Aegerter has been active in Moto2 till recently and has just completed two MotoE races in which he has been on the podium both times.”