MotoGP: Crutchlow ’could have been first’

Cal Crutchlow says he could have qualified on pole position for tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix, but instead of ‘trusting his gut’ he opted not to make the move to slick tyres when hindsight showed him he should have.

Starting damp, most riders elected to take to the track in Q2 on intermediate tyres, and the LCR Honda rider admitted afterwards that he spent too long on the Michelins instead of pitting when eventual pole position man Marc Marquez did for slick tyres.

“I think I could have stolen pole today if I’d made the right decision. After qualifying one I said ‘let’s go with slicks,’ and then changed my mind, and in the end that was the wrong decision. But Marc did a great lap.  It’s been hard all weekend, but with extra time on track in Q1 I had more experience of the wet and dry – but I shouldn’t have been there really because I chose the wrong tyres at the wrong time in free practice three!”

Admitting to MCN after the session that he should have trusted his gut and went with the wet tyres, he also admitted that tomorrow’s race will be a total lottery.

“Normally I have an answer when I’m asked how tomorrow will go, but today you’re asking a question that I have no answer to. It’s going to be a complete lottery, because it’ll be freezing cold – Moto2 were all crashing in a straight line running at the same time today we’re going to be out at tomorrow, so we’re all already shitting ourselves a little!

“We want to run the harder spec front tyre, but I don’t know if it’ll be even possible. We’re at a stage now where we’re going to have a look tonight and then use the extra 30 minutes they’ve given us tomorrow morning to do some work. But it’s going to be a big lottery.”

 

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