Czech MotoGP: Crutchlow becomes first British rider to win in 35 years

Dominates race, leaving Italian legend Rossi at second spot

BRNO: Cal Crutchlow on a Honda took his maiden MotoGP win for Britain after 35 years as he dominated a rain-hit race at Brno in the Czech Republic yesterday.

Italian legend Valentino Rossi claimed second on his Yamaha after finishing more than seven seconds behind the Briton, ahead of championship leader Marc Marquez on a Honda.

With seven races to go, the result leaves Marquez at the top of the overall standings on 197 points, 53 ahead of Rossi.

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo dropped to third overall, on 138 points, after finishing 17th at Brno and a lap behind as the victim of a poor strategy.





“We did the best job we could today and I’m really, really pleased for my team,” said the 30-year-old Crutchlow, of the independent LCR Honda team.

In wet conditions, following several hours of steady rain, pole-sitter Marquez took an early lead but was soon replaced by Ducati’s Andrea Iannone, the winner from Austria a week ago.

Capitalising on his choice of hard-option front and rear tyres, Crutchlow worked his way through the pack patiently from 10th on the grid to take the lead from the Italian whose soft-option front tyre visibly started to wear off.



“I took the gamble, nobody else did,” said Crutchlow, marvelling at the combined-compound strategies used by his rivals. “As far as I’m concerned, they’re all wimps, if you choose one you don’t choose the other.”

The 37-year-old Rossi, who has won five top-class Grands Prix at Brno, battled back from as low as 12th early in the race.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd,  2016.

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