Crutchlow explains gravel trap confrontation

Updated with video.

Cal Crutchlow has opened up on his fiery reaction that came in the wake of Dani Pedrosa taking him out of the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, explaining he felt the Spaniard was not completely honest in the immediate aftermath of the fall.

Both Honda men were struggling with a lack of front end feel throughout the sixth MotoGP encounter of 2017, and, as a result, were eleventh and twelfth on the final lap, chasing down Andrea Iannone, just tenths of a second away.

Pedrosa attempted an out-braking move on the Englishman at the downhill Scarperia right, but instead lost the front, taking both men down and ensuring what was already a frustrating day for HRC had become a lot worse.

Pedrosa falls and wipes out Crutchlow on the last lap #ItalianGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/jWx3LjTJ66-- CRASH.NET MotoGP (@crash_motogp) June 4, 2017

Crutchlow was furious in the gravel trap, and later made a comment to broadcaster BT Sport that he was pleased Pedrosa had lost second place in the championship. He explained his initial anger came when the Repsol Honda rider didn't take full responsibility for the incident but followed that by revealing he had accepted Pedrosa's apology.

I made a comment I'm glad @26_DaniPedrosa lost 2nd in the championship and people tweeting me about it. What do you want ? Me to kiss him ?-- Cal Crutchlow (@calcrutchlow) June 4, 2017

"We were managing a bad situation quite well because this weekend the tyres were terrible for us," he said. "The bike was not fantastic either all weekend for any Honda rider. It's not often you see Marc struggling the way he was struggling. And I was making what I thought was the best of a bad situation considering we had no front feeling at all.

"But at the end of the race I had fantastic pace. I hindered myself by crashing in FP3 and starting where I started. Then I ran on in the race and lost too many seconds and that was it. I lost some positions, had to gain it back.

"At the end of the race I thought I could've gone for the guys in front, which was Pirro, Lorenzo and Iannone. And I was coming. I brought Dani across to them and the thanks was he took me out on the last lap. Nothing I can do about it now.

"I spoke to him at the time. At first he said something happened, so then I started to rage because he said something happened as in it wasn't his fault, some mysterious thing just jumped and decided to jump on me.

"That's why I was angry, because he was lying to me. If you make a mistake, you make a mistake. He apologised and that's it. There's nothing I can do, I can't change the result by punching him or something like that. I've done it and I'm sure I will do it again in my career.

"Sometimes when you try to pass people, it doesn't work and that's it. I understand. I was obviously pissed off at the time but I understand that's just the way it is. I'm uninjured, he's uninjured and we can at least both go and race this [next] weekend."

I do forgive @26_DaniPedrosa and he said sorry. That's fine. I've done it before and probably will again in my career ...! Onto next one-- Cal Crutchlow (@calcrutchlow) June 4, 2017

Crutchlow offered his congratulations to race winner Andrea Dovizioso but shared some forthright opinions on Michelin's tyre allocation for the weekend, which he stated heavily favoured Ducati's GP17.

"It was always going to be difficult to beat the Ducatis here with the tyre allocation. The front tyres were too soft for Dani. The hardest front tyre was way too soft for Dani, so how are me and Marc feeling, and Jack?

"It was pointless to even turn up, especially when we have a last lap like that. We may as well have stayed at home because we were just chasing our tail all weekend with the front tyre. I wonder when they'll start helping us as a manufacturer out because they seem to be helping everyone else out."

By Neil Morrison

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