Cal Crutchlow offered new three-year Yamaha contract

The Englishman, who won three MotoGP races for LCR during a full-time career with Yamaha, Ducati and Honda machinery between 2011 and 2020, signed as the factory’s test rider for 2021.

Alongside development duties, Crutchlow made ten stand-in race appearances during 2021 and 2022, plus a wild-card at last weekend’s Japanese MotoGP.

At the end of the Motegi event, Crutchlow revealed the new long-term testing offer.

“They want me to sign a new three-year agreement,” said the 37-year-old, before explaining that the M1’s testing schedule needs to be improved.

“I had nine weeks off after Sepang [test]. Then I did three tests in two weeks, then I had 14 weeks off. Then I did three tests in two weeks again!

“We need to make sure we're more consistently on the bike also for the engineers. And that's how you make progress.

“So hopefully they come with a better plan and I'll make a decision.”

Crutchlow: 'We don't need more power. We need a smoother engine'

Crutchlow finished the Motegi weekend with 13th place in the red-flagged grand prix, having been forced to serve a long lap penalty in both the Saturday (track limits) and Sunday (incorrect bike swap) races.

With the main priority of the weekend data gathering,  was also not using his ideal choice of parts. That included use of the large fairing, which he feels upsets the handling.

“It doesn't matter for the result. We have to get data,” Crutchlow said. “But the bike's difficult to ride with this much downforce. The bike is so heavy. I have probably better acceleration now, but everywhere else you lose.”

Acceleration is the top priority for Yamaha heading into 2024, but opinions seem divided on how to solve the issue. Factory star Fabio Quartararo is eager for more power, while Crutchlow believes a smoother engine character is the key.

“We don't need more power. We need a smoother engine,” Crutchlow said.

“Let's say, all the bikes have 300 horsepower. On the exit of any corner you don't use 300 horsepower, you use 200 horsepower. If you want more power [now] you can turn the power up. So, turn the power up - and then you don't exit the corner [as well]…

“We don't need more power. Trust me. I know what the other manufacturers are doing. How many Newton metres [of torque] they are using on the exit of the corner. We are using a lot more and the engine is not smooth. So we need to go in this [smoother] direction.

“When we go in that direction. Like the ‘19 bike, you will see the acceleration of the bike. Because at the end of the straight it will be faster because it exits the corner a lot faster. Now we are just spinning.

“I already tested this [2023] engine last year and said the engine would create a problem and now we have the problem.

“Okay, you [could] fix it with the electronics, but then when you spin more, you go into the traction control, so you end up slower… It needs to come from the engine character.

“I believe we have enough top power at the moment. We can have some more, sure. But I think we have enough. It’s that we don't exit the corner in a good way.”

Crutchlow also tried the longer exhausts rejected by the race riders, which he felt made a minor improvement to the power delivery, but found them 'too quiet'.

Quartararo was unimpressed by his first taste of the 2024 M1 engine at the recent Misano test, with further upgrades planned for the Valencia post-race test.

Yamaha will once again have only two bikes on the 2024 grid with new signing Alex Rins joining Quartararo at the Monster team.