Cal Crutchlow has questioned the wisdom of Yamaha's negotiations with Pol Espargaro that could cost the Briton his Tech 3 ride at the end of 2013.The 27-year-old Briton confirmed he is aware of Yamaha's plans to sign Espargaro, runner-up to Marc Marquez in last year's Moto2 championship, to a factory contract. Works riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, and Tech 3 team-mate Bradley Smith, all have contracts with the Japanese manufacturer, but Crutchlow only has a one-year deal. "As far as I am concerned and aware Pol is very close or has signed for Yamaha," he told AUTOSPORT. "That puts him in the Tech 3 team, because the other two and Bradley have a contract. There's nothing to say about it, that's just the way it is. "Would he [Espargaro] beat me? No. "Seems to everybody [a barmy decision]....they think he's going to be the same as Marquez and he isn't, Marquez is a one-off. "Everybody thinks the next guy up is going to be as good as Marquez, but Marquez is like Valentino was 15 years ago; he is unbelievable. Pol is not going to beat Marquez. "At the end of the day I don't know why the decision has been made, but that's Yamaha and Lin Jarvis's decision and I'll leave it up to them." Crutchlow said he would be looking to move at the end of the season anyway, with a factory ride his main objective. Asked if he could do any more to earn a factory ride, he said: "I'm top satellite bike, so no. It's down to the manufacturers to decide. "At the end of the year maybe there's somewhere we can go, but we'll look at that as and when. At the moment my concentration is to finish the races as high up as possible and hopefully things will happen from there. "I don't want to ride for a non-factory team anyway. "If a decision needs to be made, it needs to be that I'll be on a factory bike in my team. If not, then there's no point in me riding around in the same position as last year." Asked if that meant he could switch disciplines, Crutchlow added: "Maybe. If that's what needs to happen then yeah." Alternatively a factory ride could open up should Ducati not extend Nicky Hayden's current deal - which runs to 2013 - or should new manufacturers like Suzuki join the series.
Cal announcing his GP retirement then, coz who would put him ahead of Pedrosa, Lorenzo or Marquez on talent or the twighlight-career man Rossi and his marketing ability. And why would you want to go to another manf and fight the leding CRT riders?! WSBK then...
Being bolshy in public is never a good idea for your career. He probably ought to keep quiet about all this.
Cal is taking a big risk if he's pinning his hopes on a Suzuki factory ride, they've been a fickle friend to GP's in recent years. More likely is that Ducati continue running four factory bikes and Spies gets the boot, leaving a vacancy. Like Iannone, Pol showed he can run with Marquez in Moto2. Cal is however comfortably faster than Bautista and Bradl, both of whom have varying degrees of support from HRC - Bradl is essentially on a full works bike, Bautista's is fairly close but running Showa rather than Ohlins suspension. If I was Yamaha, I think I'd rather buy Smith out his contract than lose Cal mind you...
I dont think he's barmy at all, in fact he's on the money. He has no options with Yamaha if Pol is in the frame, (and he'd know surely). What do you want him to do ,keep quiet and softly close the door. He's to good to leave motogp at this point in his career , so needs to make it known that he'd consider any factory ride . There are two americans on Ducati's ,Hayden (factory) and Spies ( factory-ish). Lets face it Hayden and Spies are shite (yeah yeah nice blokes,good riders) and are only still in a job because of the american market. Suzuki ,I hope they do come back, but they will take years to be competitive again, and unless Aprilia or BMW or even Kawasaki enter factory teams then Cals options are ahhmm Ducati or Ducati. I think he just wants to know where he'll be Ducati or WSB. What could fuck him up would be those twats at the BBC ,if there is no terrestrial showing in the UK why does Dorna need British riders in the top seats. Seems it'll be a Spanish Italian lock out soon.
Good point, at least he is in the window...but then thats what his manager is for, to make sure hes in the window. Unless its money related, why trade the best customer Yamaha where he's knocking on podium doors to a factory ride several back from there?! Doesnt make sense
cal on da Duc would be a nice combo, no? whether GP or WSBK... and he knows Dovi.. Haydn to wsbk? Badovani out?
Thing is Brads he's not trading , he obviously has no choice as Espargaro has his butt cheeks firmly planted on Cals seat , fuckin Dorna piss me off , Cal has proved he's ready for a factory bike , Pol just happens to be Spanish and above averagely talented, I'd say Redding would be as suited or even more so to a motogp ride than spotty Pol.
Let's be honest, WSBK is a retrograde step from MotoGP, Cal has to stay in GP's as he is clearly best of the rest. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the money Ducati make from having a Yank on the GP team in terms of sales more than covers Hayden's wages. I don't imagine Spies was in a position to make big salary demands over the winter though. So if you're Ducati, who do you keep, Spies or Hayden? I'd keep Hayden personally, I think Spies' head has gone, if we must have a Yank on the red bikes at all. Also Spies' contract is apparently up at the end of the year, which probably keeps Hayden safe. Given the absence of a big UK audience, it's Smith who is likely to lose out, not Cal. However, this talk of Pol to Tech3 could be a little premature, given Pol has to be strong in Moto2 this year, which with being beaten twice by his team-mate Esteve Rabat he hasn't yet. Dorna has said that the Moto2 champion will get a MotoGP ride in the past, so where does he go if it isn't Pol? (Oh, and it won't be Scott Redding, not a chance).
It's crap that there's rider grid lock at the big teams. Maybe enforced 12 month only contracts for all teams?
Since 2008, Redding has entered 87 GP's - 1 win, 10 podiums, 532 points. On average that's two podiums and around 106 points per season. Over an 18 race season that's six points per race. He is, if anything, consistently inconsistent. In comparison, over the same period, Pol Espagaro has 10 wins from 108 races, 35 podiums and 963 points. That's two wins, five other podiums, and 252 points per season. Over an 18 race season that's 14 points a race. Based on that lot, and everything I've watched in that time, I wouldn't be backing Redding against Pol.
Wrong Espagaro...think we are talking about the lead CRT brother who beat most of the Ducati factory bikes at the weekend..
Its not about history, its about current and recent form. And on that basis, hopefully Reddng will get a leg up even if its to a CRT team so he can experience the top end
Think you have the wrong Espagaro fella, the OP specifically states it's Pol Espagaro who Yamaha are in negotiations with. Pol was also runner up to Marquez last season. Aleix is the CRT-riding older brother, and we've no idea where he's riding next season.
Redding's history shows he doesn't deserve a shot on the big bikes, on the basis of the current three races he's doing well but that won't last for the rest of the season.
