Jenson Button will miss the first winter test of the '2007 season' after fracturing two ribs in a karting accident while training.
The British Honda star must watch from the sidelines as team-mates Rubens Barrichello, Christian Klien and James Rossiter ease the team back into a new Bridgestone tyre era at Barcelona on Tuesday.
"Jenson recently sustained two hairline cracks to his ribs whilst participating in a karting test scheduled as part of his winter preparation," read a team statement.
"As a result, he will not take part in next week's test to ensure that the condition is not further aggravated."
With Bridgestone providing the same tyres at Barcelona that will be used at the first race of the season in Melbourne, Honda, like Renault, intends to focus on relearning the characteristics of the Japanese rubber.
Honda has used Michelin tyres for the last three years, but still can boast more recent experience of Bridgestone than its key rivals McLaren and Renault.
It can also draw on Barrichello's expertise from his time at Ferrari, all of whose victories came on the Japanese rubber.
As well as its tyre programme Honda intends to run new development parts that will feature on the 2007 car, expected to make its debut early next year.
Reminds me of Montoya breaking his hand while playing tennis. People believe that he was doing some motocross or something when he injured himself
Injury rules Button out of first winter test
