Cal Crutchlow is experiencing his worst season in MotoGP at a time when he needs to confirm, with excellent results, that he can, at 34, continue a great career in the category. Because he will no longer be at Honda in 2021. The manufacturer preferred Alex Marquez who will give way to Pol Espargaró. The Englishman is experiencing an incredible succession of injuries which diminishes him on an RC213V that is already anything but user-friendly. It exhausts his drivers... A situation that he recalls before heading to Sarthe and competing in the French Grand Prix at Le Mans.
Cal Crutchlow started his season with a broken scaphoid, which opened a painful series for the pilot Honda LCR. Compartment syndrome then appeared, leading him to have another surgery, his convalescence went very badly, forcing him to have two withdrawals, and when he returned, he damaged the ligaments in one ankle. by passing the medical examination… But during this time, the Honda, alone also did damage. Stefan bradl, for example, had to skip a race due to an overload of the “ulnar nerve”, responsible for the little finger and the ring finger. Between the two Misano Grands Prix, the Bavarian finally underwent an operation on his right arm, he had to skip the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
On this situation, Cal Crutchlow commented : " I wasn't surprised by what happened to Bradl. I think he's a great driver and he knows the Honda well. But this bike forgives nothing, Taka also had a problem with his forearms. The Honda moves a lot, has wheelie tendencies everywhere and is not easy to ride. If you're not 100% fit, it's really, really hard. » summarizes the LCR pilot.
“You have no idea how difficult the Honda is to ride”
At the same time, he notes: “ on the other hand, when I look at some of my good results, I was never in good shape. After my ankle injury, I immediately got back on the podium in Qatar in 2019. Or at Sachsenring last year, when I broke my tibia in a cycling accident the day before, I got on the podium. Maybe it was my gentler riding style or maybe it was the anger in me, against all odds, that allowed me to handle the Honda better ».
« I can't say when I last rode a motorcycle in good physical condition " finished Cal Crutchlow on speedweek with Nora Lantschner. Good Prince, he also has a good word for his successor Alex Marquez : " he's a tall guy. He may have less problems with his arms. He had a fantastic race at the second Misano Grand Prix, absolutely remarkable. You have no idea how difficult the Honda is to ride compared to other motorcycles for a beginner. He learned a lot. I already said in Austria: his way of driving can be good. His progression from first to second Grand Prix in the double events was very good, and he did exactly the same in Jerez and Austria. And one more thing: he finished all the races. He does a good job ».
