Cal Crutchlow changes his mind, plans to continue racing beyond 2020

Cal Crutchlow has revealed he sees ‘no reason’ why he won’t be competing in MotoGP beyond 2020 despite originally suggesting this would be his final year of racing.

The Briton made his MotoGP debut back in 2011 and has gone on to become the most successful British racer in the modern era of motorcycle grand prix racing, notching up three wins and 19 podiums over the last eight seasons.

However, Crutchlow put his own future in doubt in the wake of some painful injuries in recent years, plus a difficulty in adapting to the latest generation RC213V which he felt was being engineered to suit Marc Marquez at the behest of other Honda riders.

As such, Crutchlow declared more than once that he’d bid farewell to MotoGP once his current contract ended in 2020.

However, it now appears he’s had a change of heart, insisting he is as motivated as ever, enough to enter into talks about renewing for 2021 and beyond.

“Last year I said maybe that 2020 would be my last year in racing,” he said. “But my motivation at the end of last year was greater than ever.

“My motivation now is the same, so there’s no reason why I won’t be racing next year in MotoGP. I am in a situation with probably 80 percent of the riders in the paddock in that at the moment we’re not racing, so talks to continue with manufacturers or with especially Honda aren’t happening. 

Could Cal Crutchlow leave Honda?

Crutchlow has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the LCR Honda team, with 2020 marking his sixth season with the Monegasque satellite outfit.

He intimates he’d prefer to remain with the team beyond this season but admits he is willing to open talks with other manufacturers when and if the 2020 MotoGP gets underway.

“I’m happy in my team, my team have done a fantastic job over the years, but I will also be speaking to other teams and other manufacturers certainly in the coming months when we start the season, and we’ll see how that goes. 

“It doesn’t mean I will race, it doesn’t mean I will stop. But I still feel I’ve got a lot to give in MotoGP, I can still be competitive and be able to fight. Maybe these are the best years of my MotoGP career.”