Cal Crutchlow will start the first motorcycle grand prix in Austria for 19 years from seventh position on the grid after a battling day of qualifying at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. The LCR Honda man had been forced to go through the qualifying repechage after a small crash at the end of the morning free practice session. Having safely negotiated his way through to the final qualifier, he then went on to set a brilliant 1’23.597 to take up a position at the head of the third row of the grid for the race. Seventh meant that the LCR Honda Team were classified as the top independent Team during qualifying, and will hope to back that promising performance up in the race on Sunday.

Cal Crutchlow:
“The idea today was just to go out as hard as I could go, chew the handlebar and the screen and see where we could finish! And we took seventh. We are really down on power this weekend, and that’s where we are struggling – no acceleration and no top end. It’s really difficult out there, we are losing half a second per lap in just that part of the bike, so I’m a bit disappointed but, at the same time, I am pleased we are the best Independent Team on the grid. I tried my best as always, we did a good enough job as a team, but half a second every lap is 15 seconds over the race, maybe more so I will have to try my best tomorrow. The LCR Honda Team are doing a great job, and doing everything possible to get the best set-up of the bike and try and improve. Honda are trying their hardest to improve the power of the bike”

Results Q1 + Q2 combined:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: motogp.com, lcr.mc