Cal Crutchlow's return to MotoGP action suffered a frustrating setback on Saturday after the Castrol Honda LCR replacement rider crashed on the final lap of the Sprint race at Brno.
Starting from 21st on the grid, Crutchlow faced an uphill challenge but remained focused on gathering valuable race data and making progress throughout the 10-lap contest.
Despite the demanding conditions and high temperatures, the British rider maintained a steady pace and continued to build confidence aboard the Honda.
"I’m fine. I crashed at the penultimate corner, which was a pity. The bike is working well, we just didn’t have the day we wanted," Crutchlow said.
The 40-year-old spent much of the race adapting to the bike and working around ongoing comfort issues. While he felt he was making positive steps, a small error ultimately brought his race to an early conclusion.
"In the race I was doing a decent job, but as I’m still not completely comfortable ergonomically, I made a small mistake and ended up in the gravel," he explained.
With only two corners remaining, Crutchlow lost the opportunity to reach the finish line, but the experienced rider preferred to focus on the positives from another valuable session back in competition.
"These things happen. Overall, we’re doing a good job, so let’s see what tomorrow brings," he added.
Although the result was disappointing, Crutchlow emerged uninjured and believes there are encouraging signs heading into Sunday's Grand Prix. With additional track time and data collected, both rider and team will aim to build on their progress and fight for a stronger result in the main race.
