Crutchlow hopes MotoGP grid pressure organisers if Styrian GP is too wet

Sunday’s first of two Austrian races this season is at risk of being struck by heavy rain, which has already raised safety concerns about the Red Bull Ring amongst riders.

Crutchlow – who is replacing the injured Franco Morbidelli at SRT – has been one of the most vocal voices in recent years over the safety of the circuit in wet conditions and once again laid out his worries.

When asked by Autosport on Saturday for his thoughts on a potentially wet Styrian GP, Crutchlow says he hopes the current grid is “clever enough” to put pressure on race organisers to take the correct decisions in regards to safety if it does rain.

“I think I’ve got more of a problem because I’m starting at the back of the grid,” Crutchlow, who qualified last, said.

“The spray is a problem – the spray and the standing water and the track’s not safe.

“You’re always going to have people saying, ‘Ah, you’re racing a motorcycle, it’s fine, blah, blah, blah’, but they don’t understand, you’re not doing it.

“The place is like sheet ice anyway, the walls are close, the speed is very high and the standing water is massive here – even in the straight the standing water is massive.

“Hopefully the people that race in the championship now full-time are clever enough and put some pressure on to make the right decision because we saw and we know how dangerous this track is in the dry let alone in the wet.”

Cal Crutchlow, Petronas Yamaha SRT

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Last year’s Austrian GP was marred by the horrifying tangle between Johann Zarco and Morbidelli at Turn 2, which led to both of their bikes flying across the circuit and narrowly avoiding Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales on the exit of Turn 3.

The speed of that section coupled with the lack of room between the track and the barriers on the outside have been the main point of concern with riders should it rain.

Friday’s FP2 session was run in wet conditions, but grip was unusually high given the rainfall wasn’t heavy and the surface was quite hot.

Particularly in braking zones, the Red Bull Ring’s grip becomes low in wet conditions because of the leftover Formula 1 rubber.