Drivers and teams – Crutchlow replaced by Alex Marquez or Pol Espargaro at Honda-LCR ?! – Used HONDA

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Crutchlow replaced by Alex Marquez or Pol Espargaro at Honda-LCR ?!

Drivers and teams - Crutchlow replaced by Alex Marquez or Pol Espargaro at Honda-LCR ?! - Used HONDA

Cal Crutchlow admits to being a collateral victim of the unpredictable transfer of Pol Espargaro from KTM to Honda in 2021 … The 34-year-old driver, in decline, would have contacted Aprilia to replace Iannone with a view to relinquish the handlebars of its semi-official RCV LCR. Whose ? Alex Marquez, of course! Unless it is against all expectations of Pol Espargaro? Decryption.

Two major events have already marked the MotoGP 2020 season: the Coronavirus pandemic and the signing of Pol Espargaro at Honda. If this incredible transfer has yet to be formalized by the HRC, there is no longer any real doubt as KTM promoted in 2021…

  • MNC of June 20, 2020:
  • MNC special file :

Several players in the Grand Prix even describe this completely unexpected transfer as acted, like the boss of promoter Dorna for whom "the recruitment of Pol by Honda does not surprise me", Carmelo Ezpeleta told Motorsport. Same story for Herve Poncharal, manager of the KTM-Tech3 team and president of the team association (IRTA)…

"Marc is number one at the moment (at Honda and in the championship, editor’s note), but Pol is going there and deep down, he’s sure he can challenge him: let’s wait until 2021, but it will be very interesting to see Marc and Pol side by side on the same motorcycles ", analysis on Crash-Net the French leader, who also made" Polito "debut in the premier category on a Yamaha satellite in 2014 and . 

"These two guys have a common history, a common career (the two Spaniards fought for the Moto2 title in 2012, to the advantage of Marquez, editor’s note). And now we will see them both on the same bike, in the same team, with a similar aggressive style ", summarizes the boss of the Var team.

So much goes the "Crutch to low" that at the end it breaks !

Problem: the hiring of Pol Espargaro pushes towards the exit a Honda rider in place, in this case the Moto2 world champion Alex Marquez! A scenario as incredible as it is inelegant, knowing that the n ° 73 has not yet raced a single race on the official RC213V because of the Covid-19…

Drivers and teams - Crutchlow replaced by Alex Marquez or Pol Espargaro at Honda-LCR ?! - Used HONDA

Marc Marquez – very close to his younger brother – could then wonder about the motivations of his employer: and if the HRC had only hired his little brother with a view to making him sign a contract extension of an unprecedented duration four years ?! In short, give and take, without any real plan to give the unfortunate "brother of" a chance….

Magnanimous, Honda would have planned an exit plan for Alex Marquez: to integrate him into his satellite team LCR on a RC213V supported by the factory, exactly the same assembly as for Cal Crutchlow. The Englishman, author of a frankly disappointing 2019 season, feels the tide to turn against him.

"My time at Honda has been great and we have accomplished a lot together, but all good things come to an end at some point," he told fellow Bikesportnews. "I obtained 19 podiums with Lucio Cecchinello and his team (12 in reality: the other 7 were signed at Ducati and Yamaha, editor’s note!), But he now has something else on the program".

To sum up: Cal Crutchlow is asked to cede his handlebars to Alex Marquez, himself ousted from the official Honda team by Pol Espargaro. Sacred "turn over" at the winged brand, which is just recovering from the bitter failure of its collaboration with Jorge "future-former-retiree" Lorenzo !

"All good things come to an end"

The other option would be for the second Honda-LCR rider, Takaaki Nakagami, to be affected by this "relocation" strategy, especially since – like Crutchlow – the 28-year-old Japanese rider is at the end of his contract with the team. Cecchinello…

  • MNC of September 5, 2019 : Crutchlow’s retirement, a good plan for Zarco ?

But the nationality of the discreet Nakagami pleads in his favor with Honda, as does his steady progression, if not dazzling. In addition, the n ° 30 is much more diplomatic – Crutchlow has been very critical of Honda for two years – and largely conditions the financial support of the Japanese oil giant Idemitsu to LCR..

"If no agreement is reached with" Taka ", then I could perhaps stay but I think the chances are slim," admits the English driver, who had already after a 2019 season spent far from his objectives and in the Suffering from his right ankle injury contracted in Australia in late 2018. 

Crutchlow at Aprilia in 2021 ?

However, there is no question of retiring for Cal Crutchlow, who, on the contrary, is working to remain in the premier class in 2021 with the powerful support of Dorna Sports. The promoter of GP appreciates both the media potential of his "crisp" lines as well as his nationality which favors negotiations with the British broadcast channels.

The n ° 35, who would have refused offers of return in World Superbike, would study the project to integrate the Aprilia-Gresini team in place of Andrea Iannone, still suspended for suspected doping and whose future does not tend to to clear up. Crutchlow would find in this case an Italian motorcycle, as at the time of his brief and inconclusive stint at Ducati in 2014.

"I want to do something fun because it’s not about the money anymore, and developing the RS-GP with Aleix Espargaro could be a lot of fun," says the Coventry rider, who has three MotoGP wins over the Honda (2 in 2016 and one in 2018).

"It’s an opportunity to try to get podiums with all the manufacturers I have ridden in MotoGP for (he started with Yamaha from 2011 to 2013, editor’s note) and I am very determined to help develop the bike. : I am sure I can do it ", he believes with a certain dose of optimism.

Remember that the RS-GP of Noale’s crest is still far from being able to climb the podium on a regular basis, despite obvious progress and a new promising V4: in addition to a better overall balance, the Aprilia must also find the right way to reliability…

What if Pol Espargaro joined the Honda-LCR team ?!

Another possibility: Cal Crutchlow leaves LCR to give way not to Alex Marquez as the general opinion indicates, but to … Pol Espargaro! This hypothesis launched by our "Mr Bilan marche MNC", Matthieu Bretille, is interesting in more ways than one, especially in terms of preserving good relations with the Marquez clan….

Alex Marquez would thus remain alongside his brother in 2021, which would give him time to prove himself on the Honda. Pol Espargaro would meanwhile make his ranges on an RCV directly supported by the factory, with semi-official status like Crutchlow, giving Honda time to observe the evolution of its two new recruits..

Admit that this assembly – purely hypothetical and put at fault by several declarations – would make sense on a sporting and human level, especially since nothing proves that Espargaro will make sparks on the Honda as MNC has already pointed out on several occasions ! To be continued, stay connected.

Alexandre BARDIN (with the precious collaboration of M. Bretille)

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