Di Grassi to miss Le Mans due to ankle injury

AF Corse driver Lucas di Grassi will not take part in the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours, after breaking his right ankle while playing soccer. Di Grassi posted on his Twitter feed that the specific injury was a broken fibula, and that it will require surgery.

The Brazilian (pictured at left) was due to make his first Le Mans appearance in the GTE Pro class, driving the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari with full-season WEC drivers James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi.

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He was declared unfit to race by the Le Mans 24 Hours Medical Delegate today. It would have been his fifth Le Mans start, his previous four were with Audi Sport in LMP1 from 2013-'16.

Taking his place in the car will be Italian driver Michele Rugolo, who has raced at Le Mans four times, three of which were in Ferraris. His most recent appearance was with AF Corse back in 2014, with Stephen Wyatt and Sam Bird.

This season the 34-year-old driver from Montebelluna won the Asian Le Mans Series driving for DH Racing and is currently third in the Blancpain Endurance Cup standings, competing in a Spirit of Race-run 488 GT3 with Pasin Lathouras and Pier Guidi.