MotoGP Mugello: McPhee ‘we have speed, crash my fault’

A difficult weekend for Sterilgarda Husqvarna saw John McPhee highside out of the leading group in the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Having already watched a similar incident befall teammate Ayumu Sasaki during Friday’s free practice - which has left the Japanese rider with a fractured vertebra, both broken collarbones, a head trauma, and multiple contusions - McPhee was thankfully uninjured when Red Bull’s Daniel Holgado collided with his bike in the aftermath at turn 14.

Until the crash, the Scot had been running strongly in the leading group from his sixth place grid start. He exited the 20-lap race at the final chicane having just dropped from seventh to ninth in a dramatic lap that saw four riders down at the halfway point.

“Overall, until race day I think we had a very productive weekend,” McPhee reflected. “We managed to show that we have come back strong from the injury, and we were there in the top ten in all sessions and this is very good.

“In the race unfortunately, I struggled a bit from the beginning just to keep my position and it was a little bit difficult to make a pass. Finally I made a mistake, it was completely my fault, I made a highside and crashed. I am very sorry to the team about that.

“The good point is that we showed that we have the speed, we are only now in the third race of the season for me, so I just need a little bit more time to adapt a little bit more.

“Anyway I think there is a lot of positives although it was a negative end to the weekend. I look forward to Montmeló, and having another strong weekend there.”