Crutchlow blitzes Phillip Island for win number 2

Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) has taken a stunning second GP win at Phillip Island, as the Brit kept calm and kept his gap at the front ahead of P2 finisher Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Maverick Vinales completing the podium.

Starting from second on the grid Crutchlow chose the hard-front Michelin Power Slick — paired with a medium rear — and the Honda man made a steady start as he put heat in the hard front tire. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) made the holeshot from the line, before he was passed by newly-crowned champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Crutchlow crossed the line in fourth at the end of the first lap, as Marquez set about building a lead.

The British rider then moved into contention as he chased down and passed the riders in front of him, cutting into the leader's advantage and setting the fastest lap of the race in the process. Marquez had made the same tire choice as Crutchlow, choosing the hard front and medium rear, but the Spaniard made a mistake on lap-10 and braked too late, causing him to hit the white line and crash.

Crutchlow was now in the perfect place to take the lead and push at the front to strengthen his position, he did this and took the victory after the 27-lap race by a commanding four-seconds, taking the position of First Independent Rider at the same time and strengthening his overall lead at the top of that championship.

Following two days of awful weather that gave heavy rain and gale force winds, causing one of the free practice sessions to be cancelled, it was a relief for all to see blue skies and sunshine on race-day. With so little dry weather practice all riders had to make their tire choices with the data from this morning's warm-up.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]This resulted in all choosing the medium option rear tire and the majority going with the asymmetric soft front, the exceptions being Crutchlow, Marquez, Maverick Vinales (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR), Aleix Espargaro (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) and Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) who all opted for the hard asymmetric front. Joining Crutchlow on the next step of the Michelin podium was Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), the Italian started from 15th on the grid and fought his way through to second after an exciting battle with several riders. Vinales had an equally exciting race as he made his way from 13th at the start to take a hard-fought final podium place, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) fourth, giving a quartet of different manufacturers in the top-four.

Early leader Espargaro came home in fifth, with Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) sixth. An intense battle filled the remaining top-ten positions as Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) steered his Ducati to seventh, followed by Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in eighth. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) ninth and home favorite Miller taking tenth.

After swapping positions in a three-way fight, Turn 4 then claimed another victim as Aleix Espargaro lost his Suzuki machine with 5 laps to go, and teammate Vinales broke the resolve of Dovizioso to take the final place on the podium and head the Italian home.

After his storming start, Pol Espargaro took a solid result as he crossed the line in P5, ahead of a struggling Jorge Lorenzo — who was unable to make up big ground after his good start.

Further back saw Scott Redding and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) leading a seven rider fight for P7 of home hero Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS), Hector Barbera (Ducati Team), Stefan Bradl (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Nicky Hayden.

‘Kentucky Kid’ Hayden, standing in for injured Dani Pedrosa at Repsol Honda, put in an impressive one-off return to his 2006 championship winning colors as he battled well within the points, before Miller took Turn 4 a little overenthusiastically and Hayden was the casualty, sliding out.

Hector Barbera was another crasher, leaving Redding to lead compatriot Bradley Smith over the line for P7, with the top ten completed by Petrucci and Miller. As well as the solid result for Miller, fellow Australian Mike Jones scored a point on his Avintia Racing machine as he replaced Hector Barbera, impressing once again.

Another Independent Team win in 2016, another win for Cal Crutchlow, and a little glimpse of the old Marquez. A fight back from outside the top ten to make the podium — for both the bikes who crossed the line behind the Brit — and some spectacular racing at Phillip Island once again. Next up is Sepang International Circuit — and another chapter of an incredible 2016.

Cal Crutchlow — LCR Honda:
Firstly I want to say what a good job Michelin has done here to let us set these lap-times after the long race and with not very much track-time over the weekend in the dry conditions, we are happy with the performance and the job they have done. We found some limit with the front, but it was a risk for the riders to use the harder tire with the conditions and the track temperature. It was not a bad thing from Michelin's side because they brought a good range of tires, it is just that some riders choose the ones that shouldn't be used in those conditions, like me I probably should have gone with the softer one, but it was great in the end with the harder one. We now go to Malaysia in high spirits, because we did a good job today.