Cal Crutchlow has become the second rider ruled out of today’s opening race of the 2020 MotoGP season, after a high-speed crash in this morning’s warm-up session at Jerez left him with head and neck trauma.
The LCR Honda rider was looking to make a strong start to the weekend after qualifying sixth and looking strong throughout the weekend despite working around Honda’s usual troubles in the high temperatures hitting the Spanish circuit.
But Crutchlow fell awkwardly at Turn 11 during the 20-minute Sunady morning session, cartwheeling through the gravel trap and looking visibly dazed after the crash despite walking away.
Undergoing medical examination after the crash, he was ruled unfit an hour before the start of today’s Spanish Grand Prix.
It means that he joins Suzuki rider Alex Rins in a race to full fitness ahead of the second round of the compressed 2020 season. The MotoGP grid will line up again at Jerez in only seven days’ time for the Andalucian Grand Prix, before taking a week off then heading to Brno for the Czech Grand Prix.
A social media post from the team said Crutchlow “felt fit and ready to race” and was “disappointed” to not be passed fit.
BREAKING NEWS • Cal feels fit and ready to race, but unfortunately the #MotoGP Chief Medical Doctor has decided to not take any unnecessary risks and has declared him unfit for precautionary reasons. Cal is disappointed with the decision but will rest up for the rest of the day
— LCR Team (@lcr_team) July 19, 2020
LCR is now down to one bike for the event, a 2019-spec Honda ridden by Takaaki Nakagami.
