Cals Only In It For The Air Miles.

Even the motogp bike has electrical problems. The customer bikes have no hope!!

 

He'll do well to rescue his career if they don't keep him next year

 

I appreciate he's not had the most reliable of bikes and yes he's struggling to get anything dialled in for him BUT he kinda knew that 2014 was a gap year, we knew it, everybody knew it, they weren't going to build a new bike ready for this season so what's the problem?

I've gotta admit he's getting on my tits a bit as he should really be a lot more calm and collected about the situation and act as a proper representative of Ducati (see Hayden)

I know it must be frustrating but constantly airing dirty laundry in public, pissing and moaning about shit that can't change overnight isn't what he should be doing.

A few words of encouragement for you Cal:

1: Suck it up and stop moaning
2: Stay calm for a change and it'll all come good

You want a career then act like it, don't bloody talk yourself out of one thinking the grass is greener.

 

And 3, there's a lot of people who'd swap you positions in life - doing a 'job' that's not panning out exactly as they hoped, but maybe not on quite as much money as you...

 

The bike is a pile of shit, as VR, Dovi, Hayden etc will testify. Its not good enough to be on the grid.

Cal is a good rider but 2 world champions failed on that bike also. Casey may have succeeded but it was a different bike with different other bikes as competition.

Cals no mug and if he did it for the money, then who could blame him?

 

looks like he may be tempted by Suzuki....

Crutchlow tentato dall'offerta della Suzuki

 

As has been said here many times before, Cal went to Ducati because there were no other offers on the table - he had no choice.

And as has been said by me equally as often, he couldn't keep up with Dovi in Tech3...

 

Redding was beating him on track before he retired, on the shite customer Honda...

 

I think you'll find Bradders has taken over that mantle.

 

C'mon chaps he's still bloody good and let's cast our minds back to some of his superb qualifying performances over the recent years, he's got the speed.

The Ducati isn't any good but it's almost as though he's forgotten that and somehow he hoped everybody was wrong.

They'll put a good bike together for them I'm sure of it, especially now there's a new race dept head.

It just needs some more commitment from the riders in regards to next year and patience, IMO they'd be a bit silly to take a Suzuki contract UNLESS they were looking at a solid 2 year deal with mega money, there's been absolutely nothing to suggest the Suzuki will be anywhere near on pace so better the devil you know I reckon.

Plus let's be honest, if Ducati sort something out and they bag a result it's likely they'd be kept on for another year at least.

If you went to Suzuki and didn't perform they'd bin you for the next talent pretty quickly IMO

 

Gotta admit, the little ginger ninja is starting to improve, I'm still not convinced he's aggressive enough though

 

I think Dovi's showing just who's committed out of the pair of them.

It's been the same story for a couple of years now; Audi's takeover was gonna be the catalyst for change...and nothing happened...Then Gigi was gonna make the difference...Guess what, despite racing in open class, and the development work that it allows, there's not been a glimmer of improvement in terms of results or qualifying.

The bike's a pup, and Cal needs to find a way out.

 

If he could learn to ride by the seat of his pants he'd be stellar by now; he's trying too hard to learn and not hard enough to race, he should have the measure of Bradl by now, if not Bautista. Give the bike to Redding, he's a proven winner.

 

I believe cal has the option to leave after 1 year if he wants, obviously unless he's got somewhere to go what's the point.

I really can't see a Ducati not producing something for much longer, there's a brand new bike coming but from what I read they won't let the riders try it unless they commit.

I'll have to dig out where I read that

 

Here it is, borrowed from motomatters (thanks David)

Quote:

At Ducati, it is a question of hanging on and hoping for better times. The Desmosedici still resolutely refuses to turn the way it should, despite the many improvements made so far this season. The solution for the chronic understeer will only come at the end of the season, leaving both Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow to gamble on whether to stay or not. They will not get a chance to ride the new bike which Gigi Dall'Igna is designing until after they have signed a new contract, so they will have to make a decision on faith. Either the belief that Dall'Igna will fix the understeer for 2015, or the belief that there best interests are served elsewhere (with 'elsewhere' the current code being used for Suzuki). The problem that both men have is their age. In their late twenties, both should be at the peak of their careers. They cannot hang on for results, like a young rider (such as Andrea Iannone) can. 'My career is now,' Crutchlow told the press. 'Last year, my career was going up. It's not going up any more.'

There is also a difference in attitude between Crutchlow and Dovizioso, based to a large extent on where the two men were last year. Crutchlow was on the Tech 3 Yamaha, a bike which he could get to turn if he carried enough corner speed. Moving to the Ducati was a shock to the system, the bike simply unwilling to respond as he wants. Crutchlow now wears the same air of resignation which Dovizioso bore for much of 2013. Dovizioso, on the other hand, rode the 2013 bike, and is enjoying the improvements of the new bike over the Desmosedici from last year. Dovizioso can brake later, and can get the bike into the corner far better than he could last year. Carrying corner speed to turn the bike is still not possible, but they have at least solved one part of the puzzle.

So both Crutchlow and Dovizioso are eying Suzuki with some interest, watching to see how the bike develops. They will get their next look on Monday – if it stays dry – when the entire field stays behind to test. So far, the bike looks like it will turn alright, but power and acceleration is still lacking. Throughout Suzuki's long history in Grand Prix racing, the factory has never seemed to invest enough to be successful. Their last two world titles – Kevin Schwantz in 1993 and Kenny Roberts Jr in 2000 – came when circumstances helped negate the disadvantages of the bike. Crutchlow and Dovizioso may find themselves tempted to leap out of the frying pan, but they should beware the fire.

 

Back on topic for a minute gents

Curtosey of bsn:

Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow failed to finish today’s Catalan MotoGP after a yet-to-be-determined technical problem meant he ground to a halt before reaching the halfway point of the race. It was a similar problem to the one he had at Qatar with the bike switching from no power to full power and the former footballer said there was nothing he could do. Changing engine maps did nothing to help before, on lap ten, the dash flashed red warning lights and then stopped altogether in pitlane. “I had a technical issue with the bike. Immediately, I could feel in some corners I had not enough power and in others I had full power, very similar to Qatar. I feel quite bad as I think I spoiled Bradley’s race because I held him up. He had the pace to be with the group in front but I was already racing and I didn’t understand what was going on,” said Crutchlow, speaking at the track. “There was no warning for me to say there was something wrong, but on lap ten the bike stopped with some red flashing lights. At the end of the day, people are asking why I am not angry, this is racing, it’s no-one’s fault, we have had bad luck, simple as that. “I am disappointed for my guys that turn up every weekend, I am disappointed for myself as I work hard, I come to the race with no stone unturned. I’ve not been very well but I give it 100 per cent. It’s not what we deserve. “I was confident that we could have got a result but we had an issue and that’s that. In that last sector I had no power, so I changed maps, then I had too much power, so I changed and I was struggling with the front not turning. “When you have that, you try and steer the bike with the rear, but I had no power and after that, the bike stopped. I felt really good in braking, I was gaining a lot and that’s one positive from today. “If I don’t laugh I will cry, so I might as well laugh. Last week, we had a problem with the front tyre pressure. We really have had bag luck. If we could see a flag sometime soon I would be pleased, I don’t care what position. I don’t give up easily. The team have not experienced anything like that before. - See more at: MotoGP Catalunya: Gremlins halt Crutchlow again | Bikesport News | BSB, MotoGP News