Cal Crutchlow returns to racing

More than six moths after he retired from racing, Cal Crutchlow has returned to the MotoGP grid to take part in three grands prix for the Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team.

Crutchlow is filling in for Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli, who injured his left knee in a training accident, requiring surgery that was conducted on 25 June, just prior to the Assen round on 27 June. At that round, Garrett Gerloff from the GRT Yamaha satellite team in World Superbikes filled in.

Currently serving as Yamaha test and development rider after retiring from racing last year, 35-year-old Crutchlow will ride for Petronas Yamaha SRT at the Styrian and Austrian GPs, as well as the British Grand Prix.

“It’s great to be back riding with Yamaha this year as the official test rider and to be able to step in when needed is good for all parties. I’m looking forward to riding for Petronas Yamaha SRT in the three Grands Prix,” Crutchlow said after the role was confirmed on 28 July.

“Obviously, it’s not in the best circumstances and I wish Franco a good recovery, I hope he comes back strongly after the knee surgery.

“I think it’s difficult to set targets for these three races and it will be more about understanding the bike, as I’ve had limited riding days this year. The good thing will be that I can compare the bikes and I should be able to gather a lot of data for Yamaha.

“It’s a bit like being thrown in the deep end, as it’s a very competitive MotoGP class, but I’m really looking forward to it and it’s going to be good to be back on the grid.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the team in Austria, although there will be some familiar faces for me because Wilco Zeelenberg was my Team Manager in Supersport in 2009 and I actually raced against Johan Stigefelt some years ago, so it’s going to be a pleasure to be back with them.”

Razlan Razali, Team Principal for Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team, said Crutchlow was the best available option to replace Morbidelli for the Austrian and British MotoGP rounds.

“After looking at all the options, it was a collective decision between Yamaha and ourselves to ask Cal Crutchlow to fill in for Franco, while he recovers from surgery. Cal is a credible and experienced rider, who is currently a test rider for Yamaha.

“As an independent team, this is where we can really step up to help Yamaha. Cal will be able to rack up some good mileage on our M1, which should aid him with his testing and development work for Yamaha.

“We have no real targets for him in terms of results. We will do all we can to help support him and make him feel comfortable in the team. He’s already familiar with some of the key people in the team, which helps, and I’m sure he’s up for the challenge.”

Crutchlow made his MotoGP debut in 2011 after a successful stint in World Superbikes and World Supersport that included winning the championship in the latter category in 2009.

In MotoGP, he’s no stranger to Yamaha, having spent three seasons on the YZR-M1 with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 satellite team before switching to Ducati for 2014, then LCR Honda, where he spent six seasons before calling time on his riding career at the end of the 2020 season.

All three of Crutchlow’s race wins were achieved on the Honda RC213V, including a memorable win at Phillip Island in 2016. At time of writing, Crutchlow’s most recent MotoGP podium was also at Phillip Island, finishing second behind Marc Marquez in 2019.