“Super disappointed” - Cal Crutchlow explains Silverstone MotoGP crash
Cal Crutchlow caught him out shortly after overtaking Pol Espargaro in the British MotoGP.
After crashing due to contact on the opening lap of the Sprint, Cal Crutchlow’s Silverstone MotoGP return ended in a double DNF when he fell while trying to chase down Toprak Razgatlioglu in the grand prix.
Making his first British GP appearance since 2021, Crutchlow outqualified fellow stand-in Pol Espargaro, as well as the Yamahas of Razgatlioglu and wildcard Augusto Fernandez.
But the Sprint incident left him more cautious on the opening lap of the grand prix, and he spent the early stages trapped behind Espargaro’s KTM.
Crutchlow’s race then ended shortly after passing the Spaniard for 17th place on lap six.
“I'm not going to lie, I'm super disappointed,” Crutchlow said. “It wasn't the British Grand Prix that I hoped for. For me, for the team and for the people attending.
“But I gave my best. Over the weekend I was competitive and the fastest I've ever been around Silverstone. Yesterday I was unlucky in the race, made some contact with a rider and went down.
“Today, I got a bad start, but managed to pass three riders. Then I wanted to come across to Toprak and maybe the group in front, because I think I had the pace. And then I made a mistake in braking.
“The reason why I made the mistake was because for the five laps before, I had someone in front of me as a reference and I was braking early.
“Then the first lap that I braked in a normal place, the front tyre just wouldn't handle it and I basically crashed in a straight line.
“I needed two more laps to cool that front tyre and get into a rhythm and go.”
Crutchlow was among seven riders to crash out while Razgatlioglu went on to finish 14th after a penalty for Fabio Quartararo.
With rear tyre wear a major concern at Silverstone, Crutchlow had been relying more heavily on the front in an effort to protect the rear.
“I was trying to save the rear tyre and use the front more,” he explained. “But when I was behind the other riders, trying to use the front tyre more was maybe not the best decision.
“In three of the races this year, I've already suffered with front tyre pressure. This one was, again, the same thing.
“What I take away from it is I should have got a better start. The reason I didn't was because I didn't finish the first lap yesterday and I was not aggressive enough today.
“So, super disappointed. I didn't finish the race, but I go away from here with, let's say, good memories of, I believe, doing a good job up until the races.”
Crutchlow is expected to make a seventh stand-in appearance for LCR Honda at Aragon later this month, before Johann Zarco is fit to return.
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.
