Crutchlow Displays Yamalube RS4GP Racing Team YZR-M1 at Private Motegi Test
August 12, 2023
Yamaha’s MotoGP team announced on Friday that Cal Crutchlow, a test rider, will participate in three wildcard races for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Crutchlow is scheduled to compete in the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, the British GP at Silverstone, and the San Marino GP at Misano, pending confirmation from IRTA for the latter two races.
Due to Yamaha’s struggles in the 2023 season and a revised concessions system, the Japanese brand can use up to six wildcard races this season, with three before the summer testing ban and the remaining three after.
Crutchlow, a former MotoGP rider who has won three Grand Prix races with LCR Honda, has been part of Yamaha’s testing team since retiring from full-time MotoGP racing at the end of the 2020 season.
During his time as a test rider for Yamaha, the British rider has made a few appearances in races, including substituting for the injured Franco Morbidelli and the dismissed Maverick Vinales in four races during the 2021 season. He also took Andrea Dovizioso’s place in the satellite RNF team for the final six rounds of the 2022 season.
In 2023, Crutchlow made a one-time wildcard appearance at Motegi.
During the Spanish Grand Prix weekend at Jerez, KTM, Aprilia, and Honda used wildcard entries for Dani Pedrosa, Lorenzo Savadori, and Stefan Bradl respectively before the official test session on Monday.
Crutchlow will not participate in Monday’s test, but after his appearances at Mugello (May 31 – June 02) and Misano (September 06-08), he will have a test session.
Crutchlow’s appearance at his home GP at Silverstone on August 02-04 will not include any official testing, but it will give him the opportunity to race in front of his home fans.
According to Yamaha’s social media announcement confirming Crutchlow’s wildcard races, the British rider aims to “gather additional data to support Yamaha in their bike development mission.”
Like Honda, Yamaha faces a challenging task in order to compete with European brands such as KTM, Aprilia, and Ducati.
The start of the season has once again been difficult for Yamaha, with riders Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins only earning a combined total of 22 points after the first three rounds of races.
As a result, Yamaha currently sits in fourth place in the Manufacturers’ standings with only one top-10 finish.
Adding to the brand’s challenges is the absence of a satellite team, which they are working to overcome in the near future.