"I hit the back of him’" - early end to Cal Crutchlow’s Silverstone MotoGP Sprint
Cal Crutchlow’s first Silverstone MotoGP Sprint lasted only a few corners after he clipped Enea Bastianini amid opening-lap “carnage”.
Cal Crutchlow’s first Silverstone MotoGP Sprint, at the age of 40, came to an uprupt end after just a few corners when “carnage” resulted in the LCR Honda stand-in clipping the back of Enea Bastianini.
The Englishman, who had qualified 20th out of 23, remounted and tried to continue, but a slipping clutch soon sent him into the pits.
“I hit the back of Bastianini,” Crutchlow said. “It was all a bit of carnage. I think he hit somebody, then his bike stopped and I hit the back of him and that was it.
“I got back on and unfortunately because the bike had been lying on its side, the clutch was slipping. So I couldn't continue - I would have continued and done the race.
“I’m just disappointed because I was up for it today and I was already in a good position when I crashed with Bastianini.
“So that was it. Not a mistake, just one of those things. Sometimes it can happen on the first lap there.
“We saw some other guys hit each other as well. It was just the angle I hit him at was unfortunate. And we go tomorrow.”
Crutchlow was later joined on the DNF list by Iker Lecuona and Raul Fernandez, while Aprilia went on to sweep the Sprint podium after tyre trouble for the likes of Ducati’s Marc Marquez.
“It's surprising considering I got 16 laps on one [soft rear] this morning and it was no problem,” said Crutchlow. “Then this afternoon, everyone was all over the place.
“I’m also a bit miffed as to why, because I wanted to race it tomorrow.”
Might the afternoon heat have been an issue for those that faded?
“I don't know, it's not that hot. Also, the biggest thing is the lap time. The lap times are one second faster than last year so you're gonna use the tyre more.
“If you slow down, there's not gonna be a problem. But if you go with that [soft] tyre tomorrow, you have to manage it.
“I don't think it's a quality issue. I think it's just different bikes, let's say.”
Joan Mir finished as the top Honda rider in seventh, with Crutchlow’s rookie team-mate Diogo Moreira almost passing the fading Marquez for ninth at the chequered flag.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
