MotoGP rookie Cal Crutchlow was lucky not to re-damage his healing collarbone in a big crash at the end of Saturday's qualifying session for the German Grand Prix.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider - criticised by some for pitting with front-end problems at the previous Mugello round, having needed a new front tyre at the event before that - lost the front of his M1 at turn eight.
The Briton was lucky to avoid his bouncing bike as he tumbled through the gravel and feels drastic changes could be needed to solve the problem.
"I thought we made a good improvement in the qualifying session and we made it into the 22s with an old race tyre and I was happy," said Crutchlow, who will start twelfth.
"I came in to put a new soft tyre on and with the extra grip we just pushed the front too much. We don't really know why at the moment, but we will have a look at the data to see if we can make some improvement for the race.
"It is the same issue that I have been complaining about at the last two or three races, so we have to start considering making some drastic changes. We will keep working and the aim will be to get in the top 10 for tomorrow and I am determined to bring the team a good result."
Crutchlow broke his collarbone at Silverstone in mid-June.
Team-mate Colin Edwards will line-up seventh on the grid. The Texan was stunned by his best lap.
"Honestly, I have no idea where I pulled that last lap from. I didn't feel like I had a low 1.22 lap in me at all today but I just tried to push as hard as I could and stay as smooth as I could on that final lap and to get seventh is a great result for me and my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3," said Edwards.
"I've never got on with this track and today we've made so many changes to the bike that we're a million miles away from our normal setting. I'd say we haven't done big changes like this to the bike in about a year.
"I haven't been able to get the bike turned but we kept plugging away and found something this afternoon that was better. This track is so tight and twisty you need a good turning bike, so I'm confident we can have a strong race.”
source: crash.net
