This is one of the scenes that brightened up an edition of Czech Republic Grand Prix full of twists and turns. The one that took place in the LCR box during qualifying, and which featured Lucio Cecchinello, two visibly worried doctors and Cal Crutchlow at work but the object of all attention without the latter paying the slightest attention be careful… The reason? The doctors suspected a fracture of the T6 vertebra for the pilot who had gone back and forth to the hospital without going through the radio box...
Cal Crutchlow as Marc Marquez had fallen in the morning on the traces of liquid left by the Ducati of Baptist who had also fallen. The medical check-up took place and a first examination on the circuit suspected the fracture of a vertebra for the Briton. Something to worry about, indeed, and further expertise at the hospital was necessary.
The rest is Crutchlow who explains it… “ I had the option of going to take exams before the tests or in the evening. I chose to go early because I was told it would only last an hour and I would be back for qualifying. So I went to the hospital, I sat in the waiting room, I saw a doctor and I went into the room to do the x-rays… And there was no one there! So I left to do the qualifications. That's why afterwards there was some confusion ».
A confusion made worse by the fact that Crutchlow received medical clearance from the circuit to do his work while the boss of the mobile clinic was the first to worry and tried to dissuade the Briton from continuing... One more ineptitude to add to the record of the countless events in Brno which betrayed a real excitement in the MotoGP paddock.
« I'm a racing driver and I went back to my bike, it's that simple. They couldn't stop me because the circuit doctors cleared me to ride ". However, Dorna had brought out her luminaries: Dr. charter, Dr. Mir and the doctor Zasa. But it takes a lot more to impress the LCR driver who then set the fifth fastest time before achieving fifth place on Sunday.
« I respect this medical profession, they are very, very good doctors, what they told me and what they did is right and I have total confidence in them. But it's up to me to make the decision. Should I take a risk with my back by qualifying with it? I made the decision while qualifying. But what do they want from me? I'm here to run and I felt good ».
In the end, after an examination on Saturday evening, no bad fracture was detected and Cal Crutchlow, the next day, was able to do his job... The Englishman is foreign to the precautionary principle and other right of withdrawal, and that is a blessing.
