Afrigather After retiring from racing full-time on the finish of 2020, Britain’s Crutchlow joined Yamaha – with which he made his MotoGP debut in 2011 with Tech3 – as its official check rider.
Crutchlow carries out personal assessments for Yamaha in each Europe and Japan, and can be its first reserve rider – with Crutchlow contesting the ultimate six races of 2022 with RNF after Andrea Dovizioso retired from racing after the San Marino Grand Prix.
In an unique interview with Motorsport.com, Crutchlow revealed that “I’ve 27 employees come to a check, it’s a full effort” and Yamaha typically has “4 garages filled with stuff”.
However this makes his job more durable, as if not one of the updates work then there may be “nothing I can do”.
Talking about his position, he mentioned: “It is an essential position. It is fairly a troublesome position.
“I did not suppose it would be as troublesome as what it’s from a standpoint of I can nonetheless trip the bike, I am nonetheless quick, I am nonetheless in a position to do my job very nicely.
“And I’ve all the time had an excellent potential to have the ability to really feel one thing very quick.
“You recognize what I used to take lots of the opposite orders a full day, I might have advised them the identical factor actually in a really brief area of time and that is why I imagine why Yamaha chosen me as a check rider.
Cal Crutchlow, RNF MotoGP Racing
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“The issue with that was I used to be by no means quick sufficient to be proper in entrance of it on a regular basis in MotoGP, however that is the best way it really works.
“These guys which can be on the entrance, lots of the time they do not care, they simply need to go as quick as doable.
“So, it makes it troublesome as a result of I need to make it higher for the fellows I am working with, and you’ve got this sense of satisfaction once they do nicely, like final yr, Fabio [Quartararo] successful the title, however he received the title on a motorcycle that was not one of the best on the market.
“But it surely additionally makes the job troublesome as a result of if the bike will not be getting any higher, then there’s nothing I can do as a result of it is the engineers that should convey the elements and it’s a must to consider it.
“However they [the riders] get by means of the identical choice as what I do. It is simply they should do it in a session.”
Crutchlow advised Motorsport.com in November that he’s never seen Yamaha work as hard as it has done in developing its 2023 bike, following a troublesome marketing campaign during which Quartararo was unable to defend his title.
Nonetheless, whereas Yamaha’s new engine was praised by Quartararo throughout September’s Misano check, he was left baffled by it not working well throughout November’s post-race check in Valencia.
Crutchlow will proceed as Yamaha’s check rider for 2023, earlier than taking up a brand new position in 2024 – although he’s but to disclose what that will probably be.
