MotoGP™’s most historic circuit produced one of the World Championship’s most bizarre days as rain came, went and came again. The 26-lap race began on a wet track but with no rain falling, it quickly dried. From the second row of the grid Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) shot forward and was making rapid progress as the track dried. Had the rain not returned Crutchlow feels he could have won the race, the Brit having been the fastest man on track for multiple laps.
Sadly for Crutchlow the rain returned and it came with such a force that the red flag came out. In the restart Crutchlow, along with most of the grid, opted for the soft rear due to the reduced distance. The tyre worked almost too well, offering Crutchlow too much grip and causing him to crash. A disappointing day had a somewhat pleasing end for Crutchlow as his great friend Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) took his debut win, the Brit elated for the young Australian.
Cal Crutchlow: “I’m not happy as you can imagine. Everything in a race like today is going to be an ‘if, but or a maybe,’ but I felt great in the first part of the race. The tyre wasn’t working properly at the start and I was struggling to get heat into it, but then as soon as it started to dry I was the fastest man on the circuit. I feel I would have won the race. Then it started raining again and it was a disaster.
"If there was anyone else on the grid I’d want to win apart from myself, and it would be Jack"“In the restart I chose the softer tyre and crashed out, simply because I had too much grip in the rear tyre. I had no experience on the tyre apart from in the qualifying session yesterday, and the conditions were so different. I got caught out with a cold front tyre, and honestly I am so disappointed. Take nothing away from the guys on the podium, especially Jack, but I felt there was an opportunity to finish the race on the podium and maybe win it. Jack took that chance, and I’m really pleased for him. If there was anyone else on the grid I’d want to win apart from myself, and it would be him.”