Spies: I'm giving my all
Ben Spies insists he's giving "my hundred percent" despite recent criticism from someone "high up" at Yamaha who believes he isn't.
Spies's final season at Yamaha went from bad to worse at Indianapolis on Sunday when an engine failure put him out of the grand prix while he was running in second place.
The American's frustration at the retirement, though, was added to by comments from someone "high up" at Yamaha who accused him after Mugello - where he was suffering with food poisoning - of not giving his all to the cause.
"There's frustration, but it's kind of almost got to a laughing point for me," Spies told crash.net.
"I'm really not even upset about it. It's just been so many things, one after another. You don't know how to respond to it.
"At Mugello, we had food poisoning, and that was a bad experience. I tried everything I could to do what we could, but it was a bad result.
"I was told by somebody at Yamaha that if I'm not going to ride a hundred percent at Laguna (Seca), don't show up.
"I came to Laguna, and I tried the best I could. The bike had a malfunction.
"Then we came here with a hundred percent and did the best we could, and we had another mechanical with the bike. I've given my hundred percent.
"So to be told what I was told after Mugello and the way it was, and then to give the effort I've given the last two weekends, I just don't think it's been too fair."
The American refused to name his detractor, saying: "I'm not going to say any names, but yeah, it was somebody high up."
Spies, though, was quick to deny any suggestion that he is being short-changed by Yamaha.
Asked if the team was not giving him 'a hundred percent', he said: "No, I wouldn't say that.
"I know my team is, my crew. It's shown. The bike's been good the last two weekends. I just don't respect what was told to me and what we've tried to do this year.
"We had our problem at Assen with the tyre, which was not Yamaha's fault, and also at Silverstone. But at Qatar and here and Laguna, we've had three mechanical problems with the bike. I wouldn't say it's Yamaha's fault at all. It's just been bad luck, too.
"Why it's happening to me, I don't know. There was a big frustration level, I'd say, about a month ago. But now it's just... we go to Brno, and I just kind of wonder what's going to happen next."
