Crutchlow: It was pointless for Honda to even turn up to Mugello

While all of the focus was on a change of front-tyre construction, back to the stiffer specification used at Valencia last November, Honda riders had bigger issues in the Mugello race.

LCR Honda's Crutchlow was running in 11th place when collected by stablemate Dani Pedrosa on the final lap, while world champion Marc Marquez could only manage sixth.

Ducatis filled three of the top five places, led by victor Andrea Dovizioso, and Crutchlow said the soft rubber played into its hands while hurting Honda riders working the front end harder.

"We were managing a bad situation quite well because this weekend the tyres were terrible for us," he said.

"I believe that Michelin built the tyre for Ducati this weekend.

"It was always going to be difficult to beat the Ducatis here with the tyre allocation.

"The front tyres were too soft for Dani. The hardest front tyre was way too soft for Dani, so how are me and Marc feeling, and Jack [Miller]?

"It was pointless to even turn up, especially when we have a last lap like that.

"We may as well have stayed at home because we were just chasing our tail all weekend with the front tyre.

"I wonder when they'll start helping us as a manufacturer out because they seem to be helping everyone else out."

Crutchlow and Marquez ran the designated medium tyre, an asymmetric version with a harder compound on the right side, while Pedrosa ran the regular hard.

Marquez says he made the choice "because the right side was harder than the hard [compound].

"It was the only option what I had because with the hard option I just was able to do 12 laps more or less, then the tyre was destroyed."

SHOULDER POPPED OUT IN CRASH

Crutchlow was hit by Pedrosa at Scarperia on the final lap, which the Spaniard concedes was a mistake.

"I was too late on the brakes and too [far on the] inside without grip, and I lost the front," Pedrosa said.

Winded and with his shoulder popping out briefly in the collision, Crutchlow was seen remonstrating with Pedrosa in the immediate aftermath.

"At first he said something happened," Crutchlow said.

"So then I started to rage because he said something happened as in it wasn't his fault, some mysterious thing just jumped and decided to jump on me.

"That's why I was angry, because he was lying to me. If you make a mistake, you make a mistake.

"He apologised and that's it. There's nothing I can do, I can't change the result by punching him or something like that.

"I've done it and I'm sure I will do it again in my career. Sometimes when you try to pass people, it doesn't work and that's it."