CRUTCHLOW’S SILVERSTONE SPRINT ENDS EARLY AFTER CLIPPING BASTIANINI
8 Aug·
Cal Crutchlow’s first MotoGP Sprint at Silverstone ended almost immediately, with the 40-year-old LCR Honda stand-in caught up in a chain-reaction crash. After qualifying 20th out of 23, Crutchlow was on the move when, within only a few corners, “carnage” unfolded ahead of him. He later explained that he “hit the back of Bastianini,” describing how the incident developed in front of him: “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.”
Crutchlow managed to remount after the impact and attempted to continue, but the aftermath of the crash left his bike in a condition that prevented him from staying out. “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.” He added that the result was not due to a riding error, but rather an unfortunate first-lap-type situation: “I'm just disappointed because I was up for it today and I was already in a good position when I crashed with Bastianini.”
The Englishman said he could see other riders also getting caught up in the same general chaos, and that the specific angle of contact was the deciding factor. “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’s Sprint DNF was later joined by Iker Lecuona and Raul Fernandez. Despite the disruption, Aprilia secured a Sprint podium sweep, with the report linking the result to tyre trouble affecting some of the Ducati riders, including Marc Marquez.
Crutchlow also reflected on the broader tyre picture after the session, noting a contrast between the morning and afternoon. “It's surprising considering I got 16 laps on one [soft rear] this morning and it was no problem,” he said. “Then this afternoon, everyone was all over the place.” He said he was “a bit miffed” because he wanted to race again the following day, and he questioned whether the issue was quality or simply the demands of the updated conditions. “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.”
He concluded that managing pace was key: “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.” On whether it was a tyre quality concern, he said: “I don't think it's a quality issue. I think it's just different bikes, let's say.”
In the Honda camp, Joan Mir finished as the top rider in seventh. Crutchlow’s rookie team-mate Diogo Moreira was close to passing the fading Marquez for ninth at the chequered flag.