DETTWILER RETURNS TO RACING AFTER LIFE-THREATENING CRASH

Noah Dettwiler has returned to competition almost a year after a life-threatening crash, racing in the CIV Italian Supersport Championship at Vallelunga. The Swiss rider qualified 11th and finished 15th, scoring points in his first outing with Kuja Racing’s Ducati.

Dettwiler was badly injured in a collision on the sighting lap of the 2025 Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix. His motorcycle had developed a problem on the way to the grid, and Jose Antonio Rueda, unable to see it in time, struck the back of the bike. Dettwiler had been expected to remain in Moto3 with SIC58 Squadra Corse in 2026, but was not ready to start the season. In January, he signed with Kuja Racing to compete in Italian Supersport instead.

Doctors cleared him to race shortly before the Vallelunga weekend, on Friday morning. Speaking to Speedweek, the 21-year-old described that approval as “the biggest victory of my career”. He added: “That was incredible after almost a year.”

The weekend also brought unfamiliar challenges. Dettwiler had not practised a dry-weather start on the Ducati and had never raced on Dunlop tyres; his tests had been on Pirelli, the brand used in Moto3. Despite those adjustments, he made the points-paying finish.

Dettwiler acknowledged that waiting for medical clearance had sometimes been difficult. “I felt frustrated at times because I wasn’t given the all-clear to race,” he said. But he came to understand that the delay was intended to protect him, rather than obstruct his return. “It would have been too soon to return to racing after such a serious crash…I’m grateful to the doctors for being cautious.”

With the medical approval secured, he said, “Now we can make plans and no longer need to worry about the medical check.”