Former MotoGP racer and current HRC test rider Hiroshi Aoyama will replace the injured Dani Pedrosa for the remainder of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

Pedrosa fractured his collarbone in a huge Friday highside and is returning to Spain for surgery.

The Repsol Honda rider said: "My best wishes to Hiro, who is replacing me and will race in front of his home crowd."

"First of all, I'm very sorry for Dani and I wish him a fast recovery," declared Aoyama. "This definitely is not the best way to come into a race, but anyway, I'll try and give my best for Honda in front of my friends and fans.

"I won't be able to use my racing number, as 7 has already been taken by Mike Jones, so I'll use 73, which is the number I used in my first season in the 250cc GPs."

Aoyama, the 2009 250cc world champion, spent four seasons as a full time MotoGP rider, with a best result of fourth. He switched to test riding duties at the end of 2014, but competed in three races for Repsol Honda last year when Pedrosa required arm pump surgery (best finish eleventh) and then once as a stand-in for Karel Abraham.