Crutchlow: Honda not as close to me as before in MotoGP
LCR MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow admits “hesitantly” that he doesn’t believe Honda is working as closely with him in the 2020 season as it used to.
Crutchlow joined the Honda stable in 2015 with LCR and has been contracted directly to Honda since 2018, with the Briton winning three grands prix in his time with the Japanese manufacturer.
He will leave LCR at the end of the season to make way for Alex Marquez, who agreed a new two-year deal with Honda in the off-season.
Crutchlow has endured a torrid season so far, with a wrist injury sustained at the Spanish Grand Prix and a difficult RC213V leaving him 21st in the championship on just seven points with a best finish of 13th from the first five races.
During the Styrian GP weekend – which Crutchlow ended 17th – he admitted he was “going in circles” with the new Honda bike.
Though HRC is "helping” his side of the garage, Crutchlow believes Honda isn’t working as closely with him as it did before.
“Hesitantly, no, I don’t think they are,” he replied when asked if he felt HRC were as close to him now.
“But that’s the reality. I think it’s difficult. If I was leading every session, etc, I think they would be there more, which is maybe not the best way… maybe we need some help on our side of the garage.
“And don’t get me wrong, HRC are helping our guys. But, on the other hand, I work with my team and I work with my team in a good way because my team understands the bike very well.
“’Beefy’ [Christophe Bourguignon, crew chief] has been with me for many years and has been at Honda for many years.
“So, the information I give to ‘Beefy’ still goes to HRC.
“We have HRC technicians in the garage, and whether the support is as much as before or not, I don’t think it really makes a difference to me going any faster or my feeling with the bike.
“So, they’re doing a good job, they’re listening, they’re trying hard, but it seems in the moment it’s difficult for us to improve.”
Crutchlow noted other Honda riders seem to be “working better” with the RC213V is some areas during the Styria weekend, and hopes the data Honda has gained from that will allow him to make a step forward in the coming races.
“I followed Alex [Marquez] in the race, I can see where his bike is working better than our bike, and I gave that information to Honda,” he added.
“But I also saw it in the practices over the weekend, whenever I was with another Honda it seems they’re working a little bit better in a couple of areas than my bike and we need to work on that.
“Now we’ve got some more information, hopefully at a different circuit we will be stronger.”
Previous article
Riders call for more consistent stewarding in MotoGP
Next article
Why Honda can’t gain concessions even if 2020 woes continue
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Cal Crutchlow |
| Teams | Team LCR |
| Author | Lewis Duncan |
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Winglets
How Yamaha's rookie-spec MotoGP star is taking charge
Fabio Quartararo is on a roll in 2021 after storming to victory at a venue five months earlier served up one of his worst races. Contrasting Portuguese GPs for Yamaha's factory duo make it hard to understand just how good its 2021 MotoGP bike is, but the Portimao weekend did at least expose one key improvement compared to 2020
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come...
Where does Espargaro sit ahead of Marquez's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice.
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon Prime series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
