Cal Crutchlow has banished some demons by taking a podium result 12 months on from his career-ไthreatening crash🀅 at Phillip Island.

The LCR Honda suffered a badly broken ankle in a high-speed craඣsh during practice for last ye✤ar’s Australian Grand Prix and has admitted he felt “scared and worried” returning to Phillip Island this weekend.

But having rediscovered his pace at the iconic circuit, where he claimed victory back in 2016 with LCR Honda, the British rider is naturally thrilled and relieved to return to the podium with second place having been promoted up one spot after Maverick Vinales crashed on the final lap fighting for victory against Marc Marquez.

“The funny thing was I never had a crash that I have thought about. I usually get back on and I don’t care but this one has haunted me for a year,” Crutchlow said. “I🧜 said to Lucy [Crutchlow, Cal’s wife] before I came here I was scared and worried.

“You never know i☂f it is going to happen again because you are thinking about it. I think we proved that wrong today and it was nice to be here again.

“So to have some podiums, and one back ಌat this Grand Prix is very, very speci🐠al.

“I actually had the surgeon here today who did the operation as he saved my career. Th𒁃e whole LCR Castrol Honda team deserve this podium today. We know we got lucky with second place today as Maverick deserved to be on t෴he podium but it is great to be on the podium with my mate Jack [Miller].”

Crutchlow was also a victim of a hard overtake by Marquez as the Repsol Honda rider gave ch✱ase to Vinales in the lead but the British rider judged the move to be fair – despite almost having his glove taken off by contact with the reigning world champion.

“I h🐟ave no problem with the move as I stayed on the bike and that is it,” he said. “We are racing motorbikes and sometimes꧙ there is contact and sometimes there is not.

“Marc does these chop back moves, which he did, but I never left much room. I don’t know where he saw the gap but my gloveಌ fell of🥀f, it was half off, and I was trying to get it on for a lap. I was going past Iannone on the straight trying to rub my glove back on!”

Crutchlow records his third podium of the season, and first since the German round in early July, as he remains ninth in the MotoGP riders’ world championship and eight points behind Pramac Ducati’s 🎃Jack Miller who joined him on the p🏅odium at Phillip Island in third place.