BRADLEY Smith has been ruled out of this weekend’s Octo British Grand Prix after a crash in practice last week left him with a serious injury.

The 25-year-old from Oxford was run over and a fork leg went through the back of his knee after colliding with a slower rider at Oschersleben in Germany.

Smith was airlifted to hospital and had a small operation to close the wound before returning to the UK on Saturday.

It is not known when he will return, but the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team have brought in Alex Lowes for at least this weekend’s race at Silverstone and the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano a week later.

Smith said: “I’m back in Oxford planning what to do next.

“To be honest it could have been worse and I have to be grown up and accept I’ve sustained a big injury and now make recovery my priority.

“Of course I’m very disappointed not to be racing in front of my home fans for the only time this year but I hope to be up there some time over the weekend.”

He added: “I’m speaking with the surgeons all the time and we will make a decision that will be best for me to get back racing but also enable me to be able to train properly.”