MotoGP: Crutchlow ‘Marquez crashing cost me pole position!’

Cal Crutchlow has put the blame on him missing out on pole position for tomorrow’s Aragon Grand Prix on fellow Honda rider Marc Marquez, jokingly suggesting that the Spaniard’s crash while he was following him cost him the chance to start tomorrow’s race on the front row!

“Of course, I would have preferred the front row but I was just not close enough and tried my absolute best as always. I took advantage of Marc being in front of me, but then he crashed. I’d wanted to get a slipstream off him on the back straight, and it was the only reason I followed him because I knew it would give me one and a half tenths in a straight line. Then he crashed before the back straight, so it’s his fault I didn’t take the pole position!”

However, while the comments were firmly made tongue in cheek by the LCR Honda rider, he was nonetheless delighted with his result, finishing the day as top Honda rider and starting tomorrow’s race from a strong position in fourth.

“Seriously though, I am happy. We did a good job but we also have to give credit to the riders on the front row. Tomorrow we look forward to a good race and what will be a great battle – I think there will be six or seven riders able to be competitive at the front, and I’m not sure if Andrea Dovizioso will be one of them. We have to take advantage of this as much as possible.

“Let’s see, anything can happen tomorrow. I think it’s possible to be in the top five and aim for the podium. We have to get away with the front guys, and then see what happens.”