CAL Crutchlow feels he made the correct tyre choice for the Japanese MotoGP but a mistake at the start which saw him run off the track meant the Coventry rider had to settle for seventh at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit.
The 30-year-old struggled for pace at the start of Sunday’s race and he was further penalised when a mistake saw him come off the track and lose valuable time.
Despite this, Crutchlow still managed to gain a solid haul of points and was once again Team LCR Honda’s top independent rider.
But Crutchlow feels more is possible and will be looking to put that right next time out as he fights to take back Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in the Championship for sixth overall.
“Sunday was a good finishing position for me and the team, but I made a mistake in the middle of the race,” said Crutchlow.
“I ran the hard front tyre, which I believe was the correct choice, but it was really difficult to go fast at the start of the race. So I waited and looked to do a good job towards the end, which was always going to be the plan.
“I believe I could have done that, but I ran off the track which complicated things for me. I lost eight or nine seconds on that lap. It was my own fault, but I managed to stay on the bike as I went through the gravel, which was the main thing.
“We still managed to finish in a strong position, but evidently we are a bit disappointed as we could have battled for the podium. The Team did a great job, though, and another top-five result is important for the second half of the season.”
