Cal Crutchlow has dubbed fellow Honda MotoGP rider Marc Marquez’s victory in the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano a “miracle”, given their bike’s shortcomings.
While Marquez saw off the challenge from the ascendant Yamahas to bag his seventh win of the season, Crutchlow scarcely troubled the top 10 through the weekend before crashing out in the race.
“I was going as fast as I could without crashing and I ended up crashing,” Crutchlow explained.
“This shows the reality at the moment – I did not have the pace, I did not have the feeling with the bike.
“Our problem is turning. The physicality of the bike and how difficult it is, all because the bike doesn’t turn.
“I struggled in every corner, I didn’t have a corner that I was strong at all weekend. This is the situation, I don’t feel good with the bike.
“Marc made a miracle, as simple as that.”
The other rider on a 2019-spec Honda, Marquez’s team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, finished a distant 14th at Misano as he continued his recovery from injury.
Crutchlow has previously repeatedly suggested that Marquez – who is currently well on course for his sixth MotoGP title – has little incentive to request that the the RC213V is made easier to ride, as this would benefit others more than him.
Speaking after the Misano win, Marquez said: “Of course I know that we have some very weak points and we are working on it, and I know that it’s really hard to ride in a good way.
“In the race, maybe the camera didn’t see it, but I saved two or three crashes, and this is because of my style about the elbows.
“But maybe the other Hondas, like Cal, when they lose the front they just crash, and then the confidence is not the same.
“I knew that I have that small extra with my elbow to save the crash, for that reason I’m pushing always 100%, but Honda is working very very hard to have a competitive bike for everybody.
“And the most important thing is that my comments, Crutchlow’s comments, Lorenzo’s comments are in the same way.
“We are trying to improve for next year, because we can see that the opponents, Yamaha, Suzuki, they are working very hard and every race they are better and better.
“But luckily for MotoGP still the rider makes more difference, and is more important than the bike.”
When asked by Autosport whether he was encouraged by Marquez’s comments, Crutchlow said: “I think Marc is a very fit guy, he is probably in his prime this year and the next three years.
“If you see him physically after the race, also in Silverstone, he is a lot more tired than the guys on the podium, you can see it in his face. Physically it is not good at the moment.
“I believe yes, his request is probably similar to ours, but I also don’t think he cared so much as the other riders would have to care because he is able to manage and still finish the race on the podium every week.”