Cal Crutchlow had promised: he would be faster in his current replacement of Andrea Dovizioso than he was during those of Viñales and Morbidelli last year. And indeed, in today's ever more selective MotoGP, the Englishman, test rider for the Iwata brand, has brought home points at each of the two Grands Prix in which he has participated so far. A good series that he intends to continue until the end of his freelance work, which will coincide with the end of this season. That being said, the former LCR Honda rider also shares his experience by analyzing what he has been seeing at Yamaha for some time. And the scenario seems very familiar, which is not necessarily likely to reassure fans of the brand…
Said fans of Yamaha are happy to see that fabio quartararo manages to keep the brand always at the top of a field where Japanese manufacturers are becoming increasingly rare. But we must also recognize that he is the only one who can do it, his famous teammates being far from being able to change him and thus perpetuate the Iwata manufacturer, in all circumstances, among the leaders. A look at this year's championship standings shows: without fabio quartararo, Yamaha would be in a position as bad as Honda. Of the 275 points that the pilots Yamaha have accumulated over the 16 races of the season so far, 219 go to the reigning world champion…
A feeling of déjà vu that confirms Cal Crutchlow, and especially since he has already experienced this situation elsewhere… “ What we see at Yamaha is the Marc Marquez effect », he said, comparing with the situation at his former base Honda. " Other Yamaha riders aren't as fast as Fabio, although I don't think they're doing a bad job », develops the English on motorsport total. " Fabio does an incredible job. The bike lacks power, which is why this lack must be compensated for. What Fabio does with the bike is very special in this regard », underlines the RNF pilot.
It develops : " I say it's the Marquez effect because I know how he does it. I can see how he does it. But you can't do it yourself. This is the difference between the drivers. I may be able to do things he can't do, but he can do nine things better than me », explains the player 36 years.
« My running pace is not bad. But I'm struggling in areas where 'Dovi' also had problems “, he admits. " And I know why. Fabio doesn't have these problems and I know why. He's not as slow in the corners as we are. So he doesn't need to rev as much on the accelerator and there's no rear wheel slipping.” He further details: “ I don't drive fantastically. When I was behind Fabio during free practice, I wasn't riding very well compared to him. How he rides and how he can take the corner, always on the right line is why he is so fast and so much better than other Yamaha riders ».
Cal Crutchlow: “ it's not because Fabio rides like that that everyone can also ride like that »
« He is without a doubt the best rider on Yamaha at the moment and gets the absolute most out of the bike. But I think we can work on that in terms of settings to get closer to it » warns one Crutchlow which thus reveals the second side of the coin Yamaha ... " We must try to ensure that the other drivers feel better, to allow them to do what Fabio does. On the other hand, we must also remember: it's not because Fabio rides like that that everyone can also ride like that ».
« Marc Marquez rides like he rides and gets the most out of the Honda – just like Fabio with the Yamaha. Most riders ride more like me. It was no different with Honda. In this respect, the situations are the same. I have more of a normal driving style compared to Marc and also Fabio » says the Englishman who recalls the dilemma thus: “ of course you want to make Fabio even faster to win the title. But you also want to make other drivers more competitive ».
Cal Crutchlow ends with the imperatives of today’s MotoGP: “ The only way to get the most out of the bike and the tires, especially the tires, is to release the brakes and take advantage of that massive cornering speed. This is what Fabio does with the Yamaha. You also see it with Martin, Bagnaia, who also brakes very late, so he has the best of both worlds. I think today, it all depends on the speed in the turns, not how quickly you open the accelerator, nor how long you brake. It's about rolling into the corner and saying: now let go of the brake lever. It seems easier than it is ».
