Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow has said a braking error on his final run of laps cost him a top ten finish in today's second MotoGP free practice at Le Mans after he followed Valentino Rossi, who had just exited the pits, into a turn and anchored up too late.
The Coventry ex-footballer picked himself up from the fall into turn six but says the crash put paid to his best lap of the afternoon session. He also reckons the M1 is running wide on the throttle, so he has to alter the rear geometry to cope.
“I'm pretty happy with how today went apart from the stupid crash at the end which was just a mistake I made in braking for Turn 6. I just ran in a bit hot on the brakes and tipped off. Despite that I was only a tenth behind Colin and he's got a great record at this track," said Crutchlow.
"On the lap I crashed I'd done my best splits of the session in the first two sectors and was only two-tenths off the best lap at that point. If I'd lost another two-tenths in the second two splits then I'd have been in the top six. To finish 12th doesn't do us justice at all and if we can carry on tomorrow making the same progression I did today, I know I can be comfortably in the top ten.
"Although people told me Le Mans was going to be easier to learn than Jerez and Estoril, I actually think it is harder because it is so hard to pick up the tenths you need to go faster. And it doesn't help make it any easier when Casey goes out on lap record pace in the first practice! We can make the bike better for tomorrow.
"As soon as I open the throttle I run wide, so I'll have a sit down with my guys and come up with a plan to solve that tomorrow. This is a massive weekend for the Team and Monster and today was a positive start, so I'm looking forward to Sunday and fighting for a top ten again.”
