Cal Crutchlow returns to the track: The exciting 'wildcard' of Yamaha in the Japanese GP

Published by Stree Missile on 29/07/202329/07/2023

Cal Crutchlow, the official rider of the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team, has been selected as the "ideal choice" to represent the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team in a single participation in MotoGP. This opportunity comes at the 2023 Japanese GP, marking his first experience as a Yamaha wildcard since joining the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team in 2021. Over the years, Crutchlow has competed in 10 Grand Prix races as a substitute rider between 2021 and 2022.

The main objective of this wildcard participation is to allow Crutchlow to work on the analysis of prototype parts in a real racing scenario in the premier class. By aligning Crutchlow alongside his Yamaha teammates in MotoGP, Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, on the grid for one of the most important races in Japan, Yamaha aims to inject extra excitement into their home GP and accelerate the development of the bike.

Kazuhiro Masuda, Director of the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team, expressed his desire to make the most of this opportunity to develop the YZR-M1. He is confident that the feedback obtained during this wildcard race, with prototype parts, will significantly enhance the machine's performance.

On the other hand, Kazutoshi Seki, Leader of the YMC MotoGP Project, believes that this wildcard will be an important turning point in improving the performance of the YZR-M1. The engineers have been working diligently, and Cal's participation in the Japanese GP will benefit not only the performance of the factory team in this season but also in the next one.

Crutchlow, as the official test rider for Yamaha, is excited about the opportunity to race in Motegi with the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team. For him, the Japanese GP represents an excellent chance to test prototype parts in a real race scenario. He assures that he will work hard to gather all the valuable information possible for Yamaha and is eager to collaborate with the YAMALUBE RS4GP team, starting with the upcoming test in August.