A year ago, in Australia, Cal Crutchlow almost lost the use of an ankle after a terrible fall in turn 1 of his Honda LCR. A bitter memory that he still remembers well. In fact, given the dire conditions of this Saturday marked by a strong wind on the Phillip Island route, the Englishman was among those who supported the cancellation of hostilities. A ceasefire that he would like to extend until the warm-up, thus avoiding qualifying. And he assures that it is not because the combined times of FP1 and FP2, which would then constitute the starting grid, would offer him third place on the first row...
Cal Crutchlow begins his remarks by having a thought for the fans: “ it was a disappointing day for drivers, fans and spectators. It wasn't easy, but it was the right decision by the Safety Commission », notes the LCR Honda driver. “ The conditions were catastrophic. It's not good to do wheelies here in sixth gear and then do something like Oliveira. Moto2 was before us, but didn't have such serious problems. They only have half the power of our motorcycles. »
The fact remains that Sunday promises more or less the same conditions. But with more driving with qualifying! “ If the wind is still strong, it will be difficult. I don't think it's necessary. Some drivers wanted to drive on Saturday, others didn't. I saw what happened to Miguel Oliveira. It was bad. He knows what he's doing, he hasn't made a mistake. I am also a driver who always takes risks. »
Crutchlow precise : " you can qualify on Sunday... We will also have a warm-up. But I don't know if that makes sense. I would take the results of FP2. People think I say that because I'm in the front row. I might also go to the front row if we had to do one more session. We will still check the conditions in the morning. But it is not necessary to do these qualifications. I'm curious to see what Sunday will bring ". An opinion which is, incidentally, also that of Valentino Rossi.
Already on Friday, the case of the conditions had been discussed. “ Carmelo Ezpeleta was already on our side on Friday. If something had happened, we would all have stood there like idiots. I'm glad we decided to do it. It's a shame for the fans. But no one wants to get hurt », concludes the teammate of Johann zarco who would have continued to ride on Saturday.
MotoGP Australia J2: times
