Cal Crutchlow considers his Honda MotoGP future
Cal Crutchlow discusses his MotoGP career and quashes retirement rumours
Cal Crutchlow is Britain’s most successful grand prix rider since Barry Sheene and with three victories and 16 podiums he has achieved plenty. But on-going complications with the ankle injury sustained at Phillip Island in 2018 have left the 34-year-old in constant pain. He also turned down a long-term surgical solution in order to be fit for 2020, suggesting he is preparing himself for his final campaign. So, is retirement on the agenda?
Next year you’ll be 35. Will you decide to call it a day?
Honestly, I don’t know. Earlier this year I was saying next year might be time to stop. But later I said I don’t know because, although this season has been OK, we’ve had problems. I didn’t feel good with the bike but I’m still able to be competitive. But I haven’t had a great feeling in the wet. I’ve also been struggling with turning and deceleration. We’ve had some bad races and because of that I thought I needed another year to prove I’m still capable of challenging.
So where does that leave you?
I’ll see how the start of next year goes. Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi will do exactly the same. There are several riders that will see how the start of the year goes before making a decision.
Have you given yourself a certain number of races before deciding? No. If you go and speak to Lucio (Cecchinello) now, I can re-sign with LCR for as long as I want. I’m sure Honda would be interested in keeping me too. I have a great relationship with them.
Lin Jarvis has said Yamaha will make their decisions for 2021 during the winter, is that right?
I don’t believe this. They’ll make a decision on one rider, Maverick Viñales. Rossi’s future is completely down to him. If he wants to stay, he can stay for 20 years. They won’t give him an ultimatum because of the marketing genius that he is. He’s been the biggest name in racing for many, many years.
It’s been said you’re where you are because you took the big risk of leaving a comfortable environment in WSB to face the world’s best in MotoGP, is that the case?
Yes. I was the best of the British riders at the time and I was the one to take the risk. I could have been more comfortable in WSB, but my life now is more than comfortable.
Could it have gone the other way?
It could have gone either way. Halfway through the first year I told Hervé (Poncharal) I wanted to go back to superbike. He said: ‘No. We do this, and then we work better!’ I ended the final race that season in fourth. In the first race of 2012 I was also fourth. In that second year I was already comfortable, and have been ever since.
Was it a gamble to join MotoGP? Sure, but I never regret it as I went through multiple championships on the way. I wanted to go to the top and this is the top. It’s as simple as that. I found it difficult when I came to MotoGP as I struggled with the bike, to adapt from the superbike. Once I got it, I was OK.
You’ve worked with Yamaha, Ducati and Honda. Do they have different approaches to racing? Completely different. They all want to win but the way they go about it is entirely different. This is not to say one is correct. They all work well, and they all win races.
How would you describe the DNA of each of the factories?
With Ducati the philosophy was to show the world their technology and have the strongest engine. Yamaha think more about making the bike easier to ride. The Honda is more manual. As the rider you ride the bike more and give more input. This is why the Honda works quite well. I love riding the factory Honda. I always wanted to ride a factory Honda and I’ve had this opportunity. It makes me proud to work with HRC and ride one of the bikes I’ve always dreamt of riding.
Through your career which teammate have you got on with best?
I would probably say Dovi. He’s a genuine guy and a good competitor. When I was with Dovi, I always had the same speed as him. He was just more consistent. He was on the podium more at Tech 3 and had better races than me at Ducati, but it was only because he was so consistent. Normally, my pace was always the same. The way me and Dovi worked together was good because whilst we were always very competitive on the track, we always put this input to the team in a very similar way – despite having different riding styles. I enjoy working with Dovi. We can have the best battles on the track and still remain friends after.
‘I always wanted to ride a factory Honda’