Riders and teams – Cal Crutchlow succeeds Lorenzo as Yamaha test rider – Used Yamaha

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Cal Crutchlow succeeds Lorenzo as Yamaha test rider

Riders and teams - Cal Crutchlow succeeds Lorenzo as Yamaha test rider - Used Yamaha

Cal Crutchlow, dismissed from Honda-LCR to fit Alex Marquez, stops MotoGP competition after ten years among the elite to take on the role of development rider at Yamaha. Like a homecoming for the 35-year-old Briton, who won World Supersport on a YZF-R6 in 2009… Explanations.

The RS-GP definitely does not interest many people … While a place is vacant at Aprilia following the, two "big caliber" riders prefer to retrain rather than agree to ride on the Italian MotoGP: and Cal Crutchlow !

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The British in turn declined the Aprilia handlebars – the only offer which would have allowed him to remain the holder – to accept to become a development pilot of the Yamaha YZR-M1. Crutchlow will officially take office in mid-February during the first 2021 offseason tests.

The crest of Iwata does not exclude aligning the No. 35 in the race via a wild-card "if this option is deemed beneficial to the program". The Briton has also confirmed his availability to replace a holder if necessary, as for example this year when Rossi was sidelined two races in a row by the Covid-19.

Currently 19th in the standings with only 26 points, Cal Crutchlow is experiencing a last disastrous campaign on the semi-official Honda of the LCR team. The Englishman, never at ease on this bike, of which he nevertheless ensures part of the development, has had a series of injuries and poor recovery since the first race in Jerez (Spain)… 

A last season between injuries and poor performance

Badly injured in the arm, Crutchlow then tore a ligament in the right shoulder in Aragon (Spain): the Honda rider spends as much time in training as in hospital, gritting his teeth every weekend with courage remarkable. Insufficient, however, to seek victory again as in the Czech Republic and Australia in 2016, then Argentina below in 2018.

Riders and teams - Cal Crutchlow succeeds Lorenzo as Yamaha test rider - Used Yamaha

This outspoken rider appreciated – or not … – arrived in MotoGP in 2011 at Yamaha-Tech3, a team with which he will climb to fifth place overall in 2013 before going waste a year at Ducati. A transfer at the time essentially dictated by the ambition to become a factory pilot and to have the emoluments accordingly !

The Englishman had, however, terminated his contract with the Italian brand prematurely to join Honda-LCR in 2015, because disoriented by the Desmosedici like many before him. Cal Crutchlow will have spent a total of six seasons in the Italian team, earning the respect of Honda which will give him semi-official status..

But the cycling madman – in decline and repeatedly injured for two seasons – has not been on the podium since his second place in Australia last year. English is barely staying in the Top 10, although its speed opens up better prospects. But his impetuosity still drives him too often to the ground, despite his ten years of MotoGP experience. !

Bye bye Lorenzo…

The announcement of the hiring of Crutchlow to develop the M1 leads in turn to the officialization of the breach of contract between Yamaha and Jorge Lorenzo, who had become test pilot of the tuning fork after his retirement (from Honda). 

Riders and teams - Cal Crutchlow succeeds Lorenzo as Yamaha test rider - Used Yamaha

The Mallorcan will not have held this position for long and will have stood out above all for his embarrassing lack of pace during the discovery tests in Portimao (Portugal) in October. "Jorgeuil" appeared to be poorly sharpened physically and had taken three seconds per lap during the session !

In his defense, the Mallorcan was strangely under-exploited by his employer: Lorenzo did not drive from February to October, while Yamaha’s competitors, on the contrary, were running their testers at full speed on several European circuits to store up the data.

Dani Pedrosa’s accumulation of laps on the KTM largely explains the progress of the RC16, as does the intense work done behind the scenes by Sylvain Guintoli on the Suzuki: if the GSX-RR is today the MotoGP of reference , is it – a little, a lot, a lot ?! – thanks to our Frenchie !

Will Crutchlow be exploited more than Lorenzo? Let’s hope so !

Yamaha, for its part, justifies Jorge Lorenzo’s little driving experience by the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 to make its Japanese engineers travel to Europe to organize private test sessions. Honda and Suzuki have for their part established a European base to have a real functional "test team" on the Old Continent, thus avoiding this type of dead end..

Riders and teams - Cal Crutchlow succeeds Lorenzo as Yamaha test rider - Used Yamaha

Another strategic mistake to add to the list for Yamaha, plagued by serious reliability concerns (two broken engines and one sent back to Japan in the first races) then sanctioned for using non-compliant valves…

"Of course, we had planned and hoped for a strong program with Jorge this year but the plans of our test team have been put on hold somewhat with this pandemic", assures the director of the official team, Lin Jarvis, who believes for " regrettable "not to have" been able to carry out all this ".

Riders and teams - Cal Crutchlow succeeds Lorenzo as Yamaha test rider - Used Yamaha

"Regardless, we wish Jorge the best for his future endeavors and thank him for these many years of working with Yamaha," said Jarvis, who said he was "delighted to welcome Cal back".

"His wealth of experience, combined with his honest and pragmatic approach, will benefit us in improving our M1s, I am sure," predicts the boss of the official Yamaha team.. 

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