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A furious Cal Crutchlow retired from Sunday’s Grand Prix of Spain after just four laps due to a problem with the front brake system on his factory Ducati. Teammate Andrea Dovizioso finished fifth, 27 seconds behind race-winner Marc Marquez.
Crutchlow missed the third round of the MotoGP World Championship in Argentina due to injuries suffered in a heavy fall at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The Brit called the COTA crash “one of the biggest of my career.” His lungs were bruised, and he broke the fourth metacarpal on his right hand, which required surgery.
Despite pain, Crutchlow qualified 14th at Jerez, middle of the fifth row. He posted the sixth-quickest time on the second lap, making up three spots, and passed Alvaro Bautista on the third go around to move into the top 10. Soon after, however, Crutchlow began to tumble through the order, dropping three places, then two more. He entered pit lane in 16th position, angrily pounding the gas tank with his left hand.
“We have to investigate to find out what happened,” Ducati MotoGP Project Director Paolo Ciabatti said, “but he lost braking power in the front. In the end, he had nothing left, so he had to come back.”
Crutchlow was not the only Ducati rider to suffer misfortune. Test rider Michele Pirro and Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone crashed out of the race. Iannone’s teammate, Yonny Hernandez, was credited with 14th, crossing the finish line 52 seconds after Marquez.
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“I’m obviously sorry about what happened to Cal because his bike had a problem that had never appeared before,” Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna said after the race. “The fluid in the brake system reached a really high temperature, and we are checking with Brembo the reason for this problem.” Brembo confirmed it is working with Ducati “to give our contribution to clarify what happened.”
In a post-race interview, a still-steaming Crutchlow pulled no punches. “The hand was no problem, but I couldn’t stop,” he said. “I had absolutely no brake, and it was just completely dangerous. We’ve worked day and night to come to Jerez, and I’ve managed three laps. It’s not acceptable.”
Crutchlow also addressed the bigger picture. “I have not finished any race without any problem this year. I’ve done everything I can with the team. They’re trying their hardest, as well, but the results are just not there. It’s a complete disaster. We need to go away and rethink what we’re doing for the rest of the year.
“For Dovi, it’s great; he finished fifth in the race again. But this group, they’re finishing way too far off the winner. I’m not saying I can do any better with what I have. I’m just saying I believe we need to improve.” Last year at Jerez, Nicky Hayden and Dovizioso finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
Crutchlow went to Ducati knowing it is a career grinder. As he pointed out in the same interview, “The riders we have, me and Andrea, if you put us on a competitive machine, we are able to be there.” At this stage last year, riding a Tech3 Yamaha, Crutchlow had four top-five finishes, including a second in France. This season, he has completed one race, round one at Qatar, where he was sixth, and is 16th overall in points.
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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
A furious Cal Crutchlow retired from Sunday’s Grand Prix of Spain after just four laps due to a problem with the front brake system on his factory Ducati. Teammate Andrea Dovizioso finished fifth, 27 seconds behind race-winner Marc Marquez.
Crutchlow missed the third round of the MotoGP World Championship in Argentina due to injuries suffered in a heavy fall at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The Brit called the COTA crash “one of the biggest of my career.” His lungs were bruised, and he broke the fourth metacarpal on his right hand, which required surgery.
Despite pain, Crutchlow qualified 14th at Jerez, middle of the fifth row. He posted the sixth-quickest time on the second lap, making up three spots, and passed Alvaro Bautista on the third go around to move into the top 10. Soon after, however, Crutchlow began to tumble through the order, dropping three places, then two more. He entered pit lane in 16th position, angrily pounding the gas tank with his left hand.
“We have to investigate to find out what happened,” Ducati MotoGP Project Director Paolo Ciabatti said, “but he lost braking power in the front. In the end, he had nothing left, so he had to come back.”
Crutchlow was not the only Ducati rider to suffer misfortune. Test rider Michele Pirro and Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone crashed out of the race. Iannone’s teammate, Yonny Hernandez, was credited with 14th, crossing the finish line 52 seconds after Marquez.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
“I’m obviously sorry about what happened to Cal because his bike had a problem that had never appeared before,” Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna said after the race. “The fluid in the brake system reached a really high temperature, and we are checking with Brembo the reason for this problem.” Brembo confirmed it is working with Ducati “to give our contribution to clarify what happened.”
In a post-race interview, a still-steaming Crutchlow pulled no punches. “The hand was no problem, but I couldn’t stop,” he said. “I had absolutely no brake, and it was just completely dangerous. We’ve worked day and night to come to Jerez, and I’ve managed three laps. It’s not acceptable.”
Crutchlow also addressed the bigger picture. “I have not finished any race without any problem this year. I’ve done everything I can with the team. They’re trying their hardest, as well, but the results are just not there. It’s a complete disaster. We need to go away and rethink what we’re doing for the rest of the year.
“For Dovi, it’s great; he finished fifth in the race again. But this group, they’re finishing way too far off the winner. I’m not saying I can do any better with what I have. I’m just saying I believe we need to improve.” Last year at Jerez, Nicky Hayden and Dovizioso finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
Crutchlow went to Ducati knowing it is a career grinder. As he pointed out in the same interview, “The riders we have, me and Andrea, if you put us on a competitive machine, we are able to be there.” At this stage last year, riding a Tech3 Yamaha, Crutchlow had four top-five finishes, including a second in France. This season, he has completed one race, round one at Qatar, where he was sixth, and is 16th overall in points.
What’s next?
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
