Bastien Mackels will once again replace the still-injured Rob Hartog on the Yamaha for Team SWPN at the third round of the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) in Most, Czech Republic. Could the Belgian perhaps even remain in Germany’s top motorcycle road racing series on a permanent basis?
Rob Hartog’s recovery from neck and shoulder injuries is taking longer than expected. He was injured in a crash during training for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in April. The IDM season opener at the Sachsenring took place without the 31-year-old Dutchman, as did the second round in Oschersleben. A test at Most, intended to determine whether Hartog would be fit for the upcoming races, proved unsuccessful. On the contrary, his symptoms worsened, leading Hartog to withdraw from the 24 Hours of Spa a week ago—a race he had been working toward. “It’s a difficult time for Rob right now; he’s missing almost half the season,” says team manager Frank Brouwer, “but if he’s not fit, it makes no sense to ride through the pain. We believe he’ll be back for the IDM in Schleiz.” There are still four weeks to go until then.
So what will happen to Bastien Mackels, who has finished on the podium twice in the four races so far and is already third in the overall standings? “Rob is the rider we have under contract; Bastien is his backup,” Brouwer makes clear. When asked whether there might be a second bike for Mackels so he can stay, there is no answer.