Crutchlow calls for MotoGP format changes
ByAutoSport
Updated 29/12/2016 at 11:05 GMT
LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow wants changes to MotoGP's weekend format, believing the way qualifying groups are formed is "just wasting time for everybody".
Honda's British rider Cal Crutchlow gestures while talking with unseen team officials during the third practice session of the 2016 Malaysian MotoGP at the Sepang International circuit
Image credit: AFP
The championship adopted a new qualifying system in 2013 featuring a pair of 15-minute sessions, the first of which sends two riders through to the primary session.
Ten of the 12 places in Q2 are assigned based on combined practice times from Friday’s two sessions and third practice on Saturday morning.
Crutchlow, though, believes the flurry of late flying laps on new tyres at the each of those sessions in a bid to book one of those guaranteed Q2 spots is counterproductive.
“Every session is a qualifying session at the end of it,” he said.
“It's just wasting time for everybody.
“Everybody's just throwing tyres in. They don't care if they don't have any left for Q2, it's just they want to be 12th on the grid.
“It's difficult because nobody can work and then these guys, they're sixth on the grid but 40 seconds behind in the race and nowhere, because they've used their tyre allocation.”
Crutchlow believes “most” riders would rather have the Q2 places booked purely in third practice on Saturday morning, leaving Friday’s sessions for other work.
“We want to make FP3 the only time you can go through,” he said.
“But I don't think it'll happen because of the show, because of the TV.
“Even free practice one now is a qualifying session at the end, it’s just a waste of time.”
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