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Yamaha press releases on our motor sports racing activities
Crutchlow To Make Wild Card Entry at the Grand Prix of Japan with the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team
July 25, 2023
July 25, 2023—Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that Cal Crutchlow will be a wild-card entry in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, Round 14 of the 2023 FIM MotoGP World Championship, riding the special livery YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team YZR-M1 at the Mobility Resort Motegi (formerly known as Twin Ring Motegi) circuit in the race weekend of 29 Sept - 1 Oct.
As the official Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team rider, Crutchlow is the ideal rider for the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team for their one-off MotoGP entry. The Briton’s participation in the 2023 Japanese GP marks his first Yamaha wild-card experience since he started riding for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team in 2021. He did contest in 10 GPs over the course of 2021-2022 as a replacement rider.
With the upcoming wild-card entry for the Grand Prix of Japan, Yamaha aims to have Crutchlow work on prototype parts analysis in a premier class race setting. By lining up Crutchlow alongside fellow Yamaha MotoGP riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli on the grid of one of Japan’s biggest races, Yamaha affirms their mission to bring extra excitement to their home GP and accelerate bike development.
“I would like to take this chance to develop the YZR-M1 in a maximum way”, shared Kazuhiro Masuda, the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team Director. “I am fully convinced that the feedback from this wild-card race, ridden with prototype parts, will make the performance of the machine much stronger.”
Kazutoshi Seki - YMC MotoGP Project Leader
“I believe this wild card will be a significant turning point to improve the performance of the YZR-M1. The engineers are working very hard, and Cal’s participation in the Japanese GP benefits the improvement of the YZR-M1 for the factory team – not only for this season but also for the next.”
Cal Crutchlow - Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider
“I’m happy to have the chance to race at Motegi with the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team. As Yamaha’s Official Test Rider, I do all I can to help develop the M1. The GP in Japan is a good opportunity to test prototype items in a race setting. I look forward to working with the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team, starting with the upcoming test in August. I’m sure we’ll have a great time together. We will work hard to collect as much valuable information for Yamaha as possible.”
NOTES
| Date of birth | 29-10-1985 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Coventry |
| Nationality | British |
| Height | 170cm |
| Weight | 66Kg |
| MotoGP Debut | 2011 Qatar GP |
| First Premier Class Win | 2016 Czech GP |
| Premier Class Victories | 3 |
| Premier Class Podiums | 19 |
| Premier Class Pole Positions | 4 |
| 2023 | MotoGP World Championship - (No starts yet) [Wild Card at the Japanese GP] |
|---|---|
| 2022 | MotoGP World Championship - (25th – 10 points) [Replacement rider at the Aragon GP, Japanese GP, Thai GP, Australian GP, Malaysian GP, and the Valencia GP] |
| 2021 | MotoGP World Championship - (28th – 0 points) [Replacement rider at the Styrian GP, Austrian, British GP, and the Aragon GP] |
| 2020 | MotoGP World Championship - (18th – 32 points) |
| 2019 | MotoGP World Championship - (9th – 133 points) |
| 2018 | MotoGP World Championship - (7th – 148 points) |
| 2017 | MotoGP World Championship - (9th – 112 points) |
| 2016 | MotoGP World Championship - (7th – 141 points) [Top Independent Team rider] |
| 2015 | MotoGP World Championship - (8th – 125 points) |
| 2014 | MotoGP World Championship - (13th – 74 points) |
| 2013 | MotoGP World Championship - (5th – 188 points) |
| 2012 | MotoGP World Championship - (7th – 151 points) |
| 2011 | MotoGP World Championship - (12th – 70 points) [Rookie of the Year] |
Rider Biography
Cal Crutchlow arrived in MotoGP from WorldSBK in 2011, having also taken the 2009 WorldSSP title. Achieving accolades as Rookie of the Year on his debut with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in the premier class, Crutchlow then made his first podiums and pole positions with the Yamaha banner before leaving for the Ducati Team in 2014.
Switching to LCR Honda the year after, Crutchlow’s greatest glory came in 2016 as he took victory in the wet in Brno – the first British winner for 35 years – and then followed it up with another win at Phillip Island in the dry. Top Independent Team Rider in 2016 and a podium finisher once again in 2017, Crutchlow remained with the LCR team in 2018 for the fourth year running, winning another Grand Prix and set on challenging for the title of top Independent Team Rider once again until his season was curtailed by injury.
Crutchlow returned from a near career-ending injury by claiming P3 on the opening night of the 2019 season, with two more podiums coming the Briton’s way. 2020 saw Crutchlow continue with LCR Honda, though an eighth-place finish was the best he had to offer before deciding to hang up his leathers.
The Brit then rejoined the Yamaha ranks as a test rider for the 2021 season, and later replaced the injured Franco Morbidelli at Petronas Yamaha SRT for the Styrian and Austrian GPs. Ahead of the British GP, with Maverick Viñales separating from Yamaha, Crutchlow linked up with the factory team alongside Fabio Quartararo and competed at the following Aragon GP too.
When Andrea Dovizioso announced his retirement in 2021 after the San Marino GP, Crutchlow made a comeback in 2022 and linked up with the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team for the final six rounds of the season.
In 2023 Crutchlow looks forward to making his Wild Card debut for Yamaha at the Iwata-based manufacturer's home GP, held at the Mobility Resort Motegi from 29 Sept - 1 Oct, riding with a special livery that’s based on the YAMALUBE RS4GP (a high-performance motor oil) branding.
