Regis Laconi has been placed in a pharmacological coma followi♕ng an accident at the start of World Superbike free practice at Kyalami.

The Frenchman crashed on his first lap around the South African circuit, his head making hard contact with the gravel to warrant immediate medic𓆏al attention.

Stabilised at the track side before being airlifted to Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg, Laconi is suspecteಞd to have fract🙈ured his cervical vertebrae.

Laconi was subsequently placed into a coma for the time being in order for them to m♌onitor his progress. Nonetheless, while Laconi is c💝onsidered to be on the 'danger list', a press release issued by the DFX Corse team says Laconi has seemingly not suffered any neurological trauma and is able to move his limbs.

He is schedu🦩led to be operated on tonight when two plates will be inserted to support his vertebral column where he has suffered his injury.

The team stated that he came off the track at a high-speed left hander, violently striking the t🅺op of his body and his head.