The Petronas Sprinta Racing rider crashed at the Spanish GP in May where he suffered a serious injury to his right hand, making him miss the last six races.

On Friday, Khairul Idham had to end his second Free Practice session at the Automotodrom Brno early because of pain in his fingers.

Jonas Folger of Germany will return to race for the Malaysian team in place of the Perak-born racer.

“I’m really disappointed at being unable to continue but what today has shown me is that I can only do six laps on the bike before the pain becomes too much. It’s a hard decision to make but the right one for my recovery,” Khairul Idham said in a statement issued by the team.

Folger won’t be a stranger to the Petronas Sprinta machine as he had deputised for the former Argentina Moto3 race winner in the past three races.

“I came to Brno to enjoy watching from the paddock and not intending to ride but now it’s my turn again. I’m very sorry for Khairul Idham because he’s going through a hard time trying to recover but on the other hand, I’m also excited to have an opportunity to put down some laps on the bike with a team I know.

“It’s a little bit late with only two days on the bike but I’m looking forward to getting started. I’ve got a lot of good memories from Brno and I’m looking forward to ride again,” said Folger.