Sunday’s first of two Austrian races this season is liable to being struck by heavy rain, which has already raised security considerations concerning the Crimson Bull Ring amongst riders.
Crutchlow – who’s changing the injured Franco Morbidelli at SRT – has been some of the vocal voices in recent times over the protection of the circuit in moist circumstances and as soon as once more laid out his worries.
When requested by Autosport on Saturday for his ideas on a doubtlessly moist Styrian GP, Crutchlow says he hopes the present grid is “intelligent sufficient” to place stress on race organisers to take the right choices with reference to security if it does rain.
“I believe I’ve acquired extra of an issue as a result of I’m beginning behind the grid,” Crutchlow, who certified final, stated.
“The spray is an issue – the spray and the standing water and the observe’s not protected.
“You’re at all times going to have individuals saying, ‘Ah, you’re racing a bike, it’s advantageous, blah, blah, blah’, however they don’t perceive, you’re not doing it.
“The place is like sheet ice anyway, the partitions are shut, the velocity could be very excessive and the standing water is huge right here – even within the straight the standing water is huge.
“Hopefully the those who race within the championship now full-time are intelligent sufficient and put some stress on to make the best determination as a result of we noticed and we all know how harmful this observe is within the dry not to mention within the moist.”
Cal Crutchlow, Petronas Yamaha SRT
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Final 12 months’s Austrian GP was marred by the horrifying tangle between Johann Zarco and Morbidelli at Flip 2, which led to each of their bikes flying throughout the circuit and narrowly avoiding Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales on the exit of Flip 3.
The velocity of that part coupled with the dearth of room between the observe and the boundaries on the surface have been the principle level of concern with riders ought to it rain.
Friday’s FP2 session was run in moist circumstances, however grip was unusually excessive given the rainfall wasn’t heavy and the floor was fairly sizzling.
Notably in braking zones, the Crimson Bull Ring’s grip turns into low in moist circumstances due to the leftover Formulation 1 rubber.