Crutchlow: Rossi/Marquez wouldn't have had Argentina MotoGP penalty
Cal Crutchlow believes the likes of Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi would not have been given the ride-through penalty he received in MotoGP's Argentina Grand Prix
Crutchlow was penalised for jumping the start and could only recover to 12th place after falling to last.
After the race, the LCR Honda rider went straight to race direction to question his penalty.
MotoGP regulations stipulate that the bike "must be stationary at the time the red lights are turned off", but allow for some leeway.
"In the case of a minor movement and subsequent stop whilst the red lights are on, the designated officials will be the sole judge of whether an advantage has been gained," the regulations read.
Crutchlow said in his incident he was "balancing" his bike with his foot within his grid slot, which caused small movements.
He said he was shown side-camera footage by the stewards, but insisted he moved "not even a centimetre" and that high-profile names such as Marquez, Rossi or Andrea Dovizioso would not have been penalised.
"Nobody in my team, or anybody who has seen it, agrees with it, except for the stewards," said Crutchlow.
"My problem that I have with the race direction is I don't believe they would have given this penalty to Marc or Vale, Dovi or someone like that.
"I'm not picking on Valentino or anyone, I am talking about somebody with a high profile. Say Marc did that and he was leading the race, do you think [the stewards] would have given him a ride through?
"I don't. That is my opinion."
Crutchlow was particularly critical of two-time 500cc champion Freddie Spencer, who was made chairman of the FIM MotoGP stewards this year.
"When I went up there, Freddie Spencer didn't say one word to me, just stood there with his arms folded," Crutchlow continued.
"When it is surely brought up in the safety commission in the next grand prix, when we show him the videos the other riders will laugh and they will then lose the respect for him as well.
"I have utmost respect for him as a rider but in the Safety Commission we ask for somebody that understands racing and is going to have some discretion.
"It is just ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.
"They didn't say anything, they didn't say one word to me in the time I was in there. I was in there 10 minutes complaining and saying that I was not moving, my whole team was, and not one of them said one word.
"It sounds like I am on an absolute rampage and attack against them, but you have to understand the way that I am feeling and the way that every single person that I've asked sees it on TV, they are feeling the same feeling - that I never jumped the start."
Previous article
Yamaha's Rossi riding 'like when I was young' in Argentina MotoGP race
Next article
Lorenzo pressed pit speed limiter at start of Argentina MotoGP race
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
Marc Márquez's first ride after his injury
Marc Marquez continues his recovery
How KTM has ended up with an embarrassment of MotoGP riches
Forming a ladder all the way from Red Bull Rookies Cup to MotoGP, KTM has created a steady stream of top talents in grand prix racing delivering the Austrian marque with the success expected of the brand. Here's how it has gone about it
Why MotoGP will miss its gentle giant
Danilo Petrucci’s days in MotoGP appear numbered, as KTM looks to completely reshuffle the Tech3 team for 2022. Though the Italian's 2021 season so far hasn’t been standout, the giant Italian covertly became a top runner in MotoGP across the last decade and brought with him a personality that world sport sorely needs more of
Why Mir's MotoGP title defence can’t be written off yet
Joan Mir’s defence of his MotoGP title has had an underwhelming start as Suzuki didn’t progress its championship-winning GSX-RR as much as its rivals did with their bikes over the winter. Speaking to Autosport, Mir lays out why his title defence has been stalled so far and why he’s confident title number two is still within reach
The Rossi replacement who’s become the MotoGP leader Yamaha needed
It's been six years since Jorge Lorenzo gave Yamaha its last MotoGP title in 2015. Since his departure at the end of 2016, Yamaha's form has been inconsistent but it has at last found a new talisman to return it to the top spot in the form of a precociously talented Frenchman who currently leads the standings
Why the Vinales/Yamaha MotoGP divorce satisfies both parties
On Monday Yamaha announced it will part ways with Maverick Vinales at the end of the 2021 season - a move requested by the rider. As the already strained relationship between both parties in MotoGP hit rock bottom in recent weeks, this divorce - as ORIOL PUIGDEMONT writes - is good for both Yamaha and Vinales for a number of reasons
The unexpected Rossi/Ducati MotoGP sequel offering redemption
A decade after first linking up with Ducati in what turned out to be an ill-fated period in his MotoGP career, Valentino Rossi has joined forces with the Italian marque once more - this time as a team owner. And the VR46/Ducati tie-up beginning in 2022 has the potential to right the wrongs of Rossi and Ducati's nadir of 2011/2012
Why Yamaha is about to risk losing Valentino Rossi
With Valentino Rossi’s next career move imminent in MotoGP, it is set to have wide-reaching influences on a number of riders and teams on the grid. But one of the biggest impacts will be felt at Yamaha, with its pivotal role in the saga set to see it lose its appointment with ‘The Doctor’
How Marquez beat his Honda in his heroic MotoGP comeback win
Marc Marquez has been through hell and back in the 581 days between his win in the 2019 Valencia season finale and his heroic MotoGP comeback victory in Germany last Sunday. Despite battling physical limitations and a difficult 2021-spec Honda, the Sachsenring provided the perfect storm for the Spaniard to return to the top step
