Crutchlow admits Argentine mistakes

Cal Crutchlow has held his hands up and admitted that the crashes that saw him fall not once but twice from yesterday’s Argentine Grand Prix were no one’s fault but his own.

The LCR Honda rider, who has now failed to take points from the opening two races of the season, was quick to admit that the disasterous race was one of his own doing in the treacherous conditions.

“We came here to finish on the podium, I had the pace to finish on the podium, and I didn’t – it’s as simple as that. I made two mistakes – I braked behind Lorenzo on the first lap, clipped him with my shoulder, and it forced me onto a damp patch.

“I was really lucky with the crash, though, because Aleix Espargaro followed me into the corner and crashed too – and his bike just missed me by literally inches while I was facing the other way!”

Jumping back on the bike and able to push on again despite the crash damage, a successful pit stop and a new bike left the Isle of Man resident able to make solid progress through the field to eighth – when he made a second mistake and fell again.

“I pulled 20 seconds on Bradley from the pit stop, passed him like he was standing still, and then hit the kerb on the inside of turn three – exactly the same as happened Iannone in Qatar. I just touched it and down I went.

“There’s no one to blame but myself, but that’s two Grand Prix done now with no points – in two races where I could have had top five finishes and a podium today, I feel. It’s easier said than done, and I didn’t do it, but it was there for the taking.”