Cal Crutchlow: MotoGP Sprints? I was paid per race, unlike the riders now!
Out of retirement for a gruelling end-of-season mix of six races plus private tests, Cal Crutchlow is relieved he won’t have to face next year’s biggest-ever MotoGP calendar.
“I can't imagine the 21 races 𒁃you'r🔴e going to do next year because it's tough going,” Crutchlow said.
“I always think that the riders get treated the best, honestly speaking. So for everyone else, it's going to be a long haul let's 🃏say - especially with the Sprint races as well.”
Remote video URL
The Englishman quipped: “They're not very clever, the riders, are they? They sign p♔er season but now they've got double the number of races, as well as some more [rounds]!
“I always signed per race because you never know what's going to happen. B♎ut it also works the other way, if they cancelled a race, they could take some money away!
“But seriously, it's going to be difficult next year, as I said, anဣd not just for✅ the riders.”
Race start, MotoGP race, Aragon MotoGP, 18 September
‘18 grands prix is enough’
While Crutchlow 🎶believes the strain on paddock members is “considered” when constructing the calendar, the bottom line is, “if somebody's not happy with 𒀰it, there will always be someone else who will take their job.
“They're not struggling to find people who want to be a mechanic, chef, or hospitality person. They always know they can get someone else if somebody𒊎 doesn't want to do the job.
“Even the riders, if you don't want to do the job,🦩 they'll get another one. A good one, I don't know, but...
“I think [21 rounds] is too much personally, and if 𝓀you speak to the riders, I would say the ones who have family also think it's difficult. But for the ones that are young, with no girlfriend, it's a different situation.
“Personally, I think 18 grands prix is enough. 🥃But I'm not the guy who's writing the rules and saying wher🧸e they go or where they don't.
“As I said, there will always be somebody to replace the oth🌊er person. If they said it was 30 grands prix [next year], there'd be people coming to do 30 grands prix🤪.
“On the other hand, everyone🐻 says, ‘Formula One has more [races]’. But they have two teams [of staff]. There's one at one race and for the next race there's another group already setting up the garage.ღ”
Cal Crutchlow, MotoGP, Malaysian MotoGP, 22 October
‘I’m like a fine wine’
With 24-front row starts during his own full-time MotoGP career, Crutc🌳hlow would once have enjoyed the intensity of a short Sprint race. But not anymore.
“Six years ago,♌ yeah, not now!” said the 37-year-old. “I'm like a fine wine now,♚ I get faster as the race goes on normally.
ꦕ“I used to be able to do really fast laps, but now I can’t. I'm not down with the kids! For one lap, they're superb.
“If 🏅I have to come back next year and do a sprint race, I’m just going to can it because it’ll be like qualifying.
“In qualifying 💜now, you'll do 6 [flying] laps, 7-8 if you count out and in laps where sometimes you’re pushing as w꧋ell.
“At Sepang that’d ne༒arly be half race distance [the same length as the Sprint race].🙈”
After replacing Andrea Dovizioso at RNF for the final six races of this season, and impressing with a best finish of twelfth at Sepang, Crutchlow will focus on Yamaha test-riding duties in 202🌄3.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is a🥀t the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
