Crutchlow: Maverick's not dangerous, we all lose our heads sometimes

Cal Crutchlow explains the pressure and frustration that all riders go through; 'Racing in MotoGP is always a privilege, but we all get frustrated, we all lose our heads sometimes... Maverick's not dangerous'
Maverick Vinales, Austrian MotoGP, 13 August 2021
Maverick Vinales, Austrian MotoGP, 13 August 2021
© Gold and Goose

Maverick Vinales' immediate MotoGP future may be hanging in the b𝐆alance, following his suspension by Yamaha on the eve of the Austrian MotoGP, but several riders have sought to put his offence into perspective.

Frustrated at multiple technical issues after last Sunday's restart, following an already fraught season in which he has&nbs🥀p;negotiated an exit from the second year of his Yamaha contract, Vin💧ales appears to have been deliberately over-revving his M1 in the closing laps of the race.

By potentially damaging his engine, Yamaha c♔oncluded that Vinales could have caus💜ed 'serious risks' to himself and 'possible posed a danger' to the other riders.

Some of Vinales' rivals felt the biggest crime Vinales committed was not so much the potential engine damage, but effectively 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:giving u🐠p before the chequered flag.

Vinales, who has remained in Austria as a spectator (pictured), 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:publicly apologised 🅷to Yamaha on Saturday:

"I've been through a very frustrating time," Vinales said. "It's been building up and I didn't know how t🎀o handle it [in the race]. I really exploded, emotion and frustration. I apologise to Yamaha, I rode wrongly in the last laps. I'm very sad. I didn't want to put any rider at risk."

Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow - tipped to replace Vinales for the remainder of the year should Yamaha m🍌ake his current suspension perma🔯nent - explained the pressure and frustration that all MotoGP riders go through at times.

"Racing in MotoGP is𒆙 always a privilege. Because we are privileged to be here, the same as 90% of the paddock will feel, they are privileged to be in the job they are in. The riders are privileg𝓡ed more than anyone, because we have the opportunity to race in MotoGP – obviously I'm retired, but you know what I mean, I've had many years of enjoying that," said the Englishman.

"But we all get frustrated. This job is the best job in the world, but🍎 the hardest job in the world, 𒁃and a lot of the time, the pressure comes from yourself. But when it starts to come from people around you, then it makes it ten times worse.

"As a rider, I believe a lot of the time you are your own worst critic. So you have to manage the situation, manage the emotions, and manage the way. But we all lose our heads sometimes, throwing helmets or stuff like that. But not at people, at the situation, that I was not fast enough or whatever."

Read More