Cal Crutchlow believes rain for Saturday's MotoGP running in Texas will be a “disaster” for the whole grid due to the current condition of the Circuit of the Americas.
The 3.43-mile Austin track has recently undergone a diamond-grinding process in order to smoothen out some of the circuit's notoriously vicious bumps.
However, the modifications were met with universal criticism from the riders, with many feeling the bumps are just as much of a problem as they were before.
Crutchlow thinks the track will become like “ice” if the forecast rain arrives for Saturday, while also admitting he isn't totally happy with his LCR Honda if the weather remained dry.
“If tomorrow is wet it's a disaster for all of us, because I think this track is going to be like ice in the rain with the condition that it's in,” the world championship leader, who was fifth after Friday's running, said.
“Then, we don't have the greatest feeling with the bike in the dry at the moment.
“I still think we have a good enough setting to be competitive for the podium, but I don't have the setting that I know that I want to feel in the moment.
“So then it means we have to go into Sunday quite blind for the race.”
Rossi: Weather will complicate open tyre choice
Yamaha's Valentino Rossi was equally as worried about wet weather, but more for the complication it could bring in regards to tyre choice for Sunday's race.
The Italian, who was just over a tenth ahead of Crutchlow in fourth on Friday, feels there is a “minimum” of two choices for both the front and rear race options.
“It's a positive day because I was quite fast in both practice sessions, I feel good with the bike,” he began.
“We work a lot to improve the acceleration, we try something different and is better, I'm quite happy about this.
“For me the bigger question mark is for the tyres, because there is a minimum two front options and two rear options for the race, and looks like the weather forecast for Saturday is not fantastic.
“So maybe we don't have time to understand well, will be very important to make the right choice.”
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