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BBC Sport — Cal Crutchlow’s Ducati move a gamble — but too good to miss

27 Фев 2015 | Author: dima | Комментарии отключены

Cal Crutchlow’s Ducati move a — but too good to miss

By Parrish BBC motorcycling commentator

is no doubting that Cal Crutchlow’s to Ducati is a gamble but motorcycle are gamblers and this was too good an to turn down.

There are a few why I think he left Yamaha and satellite Tech 3 outfit.

there’s clearly the financial of racing with a factory MotoGP is the same as any other there’s a narrow window for a to compete at the top and they have to about their future.

loss of form

2013 No wins so far, with a finish of fourth. Third in the standings

2012 — No but two podiums. Third in the manufacturers’

2011 — No wins, but two Third in the manufacturers’ standings

— Three wins, six podiums. Third in the manufacturers’

2009 — Four five other podiums. in the manufacturers’ standings

2008 Six wins, seven other Second in the manufacturers’ standings

— 11 wins, six other First in the manufacturers’ standings

there’s a fair amount of that goes with a factory rider. I remember, as a myself, moving into team was a massive step. I loved by the team, everybody was for me in the way the bike was prepared and designed, and you a far better input.

And three, I think Yamaha saw his potential. didn’t do a very good job of to keep him. He has probably to lots of people who courted him in better fashion.

Tech 3 negotiated with Moto2 rider Pol Espargaro, who replace Cal next year, at a when they should been talking to Cal — and I that upset him.

day one, Cal has always said his aim was to get in a team. I’m quite that, if he had the choice, he would be in a Yamaha or Honda factory But, nevertheless, the Ducati is a factory effort where the will be designed and built for him.

When you’re a rider, you end up getting what is from the factory teams, not you ask for. It’s like the younger child in the family and the hand-me-downs.

Cal is very good at a team direction. I know his 3 boss Herve Poncharal has astonished at how well Cal is able to out what to do to a bike to make it go And it isn’t just about a motorcycle go faster, it’s making you go faster on a motorcycle.

Crutchlow in 2013

Tech 3 Cal Crutchlow, in his third season in has scored four podiums so far season, including second in and Germany, to sit fifth in the drivers’ In contrast, Ducati’s best-placed is Andrea Dovizioso in seventh, a best finish of fourth, 36 adrift.

Cal is not daft and knows hasn’t been the easiest to ride. People will that if Valentino Rossi, who managed two podiums in two years the team, couldn’t sort it what chance does Cal But Cal rides the bike differently.

We shouldn’t forget, too, Casey Stoner won a lot of races on it including a championship in 2007 so it’s not impossible to ride bike.

I don’t think it was a of Ducati or nothing for Cal next Late in the negotiations, there was the of a ride with the Honda-supported LCR But Stefan Bradl had a good in his home race in Germany and an better one at Laguna Seca.

contract was signed in California hours after that race, so those performances swayed the decision to keep

I think there was some that Honda might Cal because he’s the one rider who was out of at the end of the season and is a potential world

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Crutchlow claims first pole in 11 years

Yamaha already got contracts in place Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi, so it was a of ‘why change?’ Lorenzo is a world champion and Rossi is win, lose or draw guaranteed to be popular, so I can see why they want to switch.

Cal is probably to be number one rider at Ducati and I he’ll cope admirably. in his third season in MotoGP and his has been phenomenal. We didn’t his full potential and I don’t think he did.

He had a mediocre year, but it’s been from there on in.

The factory bike and the team are the best for Cal right now. That’s not on results — they’ve not higher than fourth year — but you can’t that they have won a championship.

I think Cal has made the right He has achieved his goal of becoming a factory rider. His next is to work with the team to that bike into a championship winner.

Steve was talking to BBC Sport’s Lawrence

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