GP of Thailand – Crutchlow (7th): "The next circuits will suit me better"

Cal Crutchlow was in the Top 5 of the 2018 Thai GP for a long time before slipping to 7th place due to lack of rear grip. The Honda LCR driver nevertheless retains the first place in the standings of independent drivers. Debriefing.

Cal Crutchlow, Honda LCR (5th in qualifying and 7th in race) : "It was a great show today and a good feeling to be fighting at the front for a few laps again. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep up with the guys ahead.".

“I did my best, but after fifteen laps I felt a big drop in the performance of the rear tire. As a result, I had to attack harder under braking keeping very high pressure on the front, but I was struggling to manage the grip well. Our team did a good job giving me a competitive bike this weekend and it was important for the championship to finish the race. When Johann passed me I said to myself OK, you finish to score points because you cannot attack ".

"This is one of my worst results of the season and I am disappointed to finish six seconds behind the winner (6.520 seconds precisely, Editor’s note). Now, we are looking to the next three overseas races, including the Grand Honda home prices in Japan, on circuits that I think will suit me better ".

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Site analysis: Cal Crutchlow got off to a good start by staying ahead in practice and then taking fifth place in qualifying. The Briton, already very comfortable at Buriram during the, logically envisaged a good result on this circuit favorable to Honda.

Well off when the lights were out, the No. 35 even briefly moved up to fourth place before giving up a little ground on the leading men. Then his pace suddenly collapsed as his rear tire started to wear out, forcing him to try to compensate under braking..

The aggressiveness of his driving combined with the conditions of heat and humidity (50 ° C on the ground and 46% humidity) too quickly came to the end of his Michelin, however chosen in hard rubber like all the other pilots on the road. ‘exception of Aleix Espargaro. 

Perhaps also that the settings retained by Cal Crutchlow could be improved, judging by the performances of the other Honda riders: Marquez won by holding the dragee high at Dovizioso until the last corner, while Pedrosa signed the 4th fastest time in the 18th lap before losing the front! This fall of "Pedro" also won a position for Crutchlow…

Crutchlow wants (the evos of) Pedrosa’s motorcycle

"I can’t do anything more with my current package," complains the rider who has official support from HRC while being at Honda LCR. Nakagami’s teammate regrets not having access to the very latest developments made to the factory RC213Vs, which he believes is the cause of his performance leveling off.

Behind the scenes, Crutchlow and LCR manager Lucio Cecchinello are annoyed that Honda is continuing to improve Pedrosa’s bike rather than that of No.35: nonsense in their opinion as "Pedro" has been standing still since the announcement of his retirement, as Crutchlow clinched a victory in and a third in (Italy).

But Pedrosa remains a factory rider, when Crutchlow only enjoys a semi-official status: the first develops the bike and weighs on its guidelines, which is not the case with the second. Despite all the interest Honda has in him, Crutchlow will always be less well served than Marquez, Pedrosa … and Lorenzo, who was preferred to him for next year !

Especially since the native of Coventry lacks consistency: admittedly, he led the championship at the start of the season following his coup in Argentina, but he then showed inconsistency at key moments. His falls in (United States), in (Spain), in (Germany) then in (Spain) underline his difficulties in channeling himself…

Cal Crutchlow, whose regular rants earned him as many fans as detractors, nevertheless retained the and first in the "classification" of private pilots. The n ° 35 is ahead of Danilo Petrucci and Johann Zarco by 2 and 5 points respectively, which promises good fights between the three "independents" !

And if he manages to come back – and keep himself – at the forefront, the Honda LCR rider can even cherish the hope of passing in front of Jorge Lorenzo, fifth with only two lengths ahead (130 against 128 for Crutchlow) following his package in Thailand…

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