Donnie Brasco 46

iTrader: (2)

For those of you that follow Moto GP, it's said that Crutchlow has signed a 2 year deal with the career breaking Ducati.

Wrong move IMO. Should've stayed with Yamaha for next year and then moved to Suzuki when they return in 2015.

Mercenary springs to mind. He's chooses £'s over success. The first time on the Ducati and he'll know what he's let himself in for...

dpb

Well it should provide some spectacle, along with Valentinos comeback



For crissake you could be suffering F1.

Dave Y

iTrader: (52)

Big mistake.
Scott Redding will be top Brit soon.

cster

Can't blame him for taking a factory ride and Ducati is perhaps the most evocative name in motorcycling, but - IMO, this has disaster written all over it.
Good luck to him though.

Ant

Audi starts next year with them so it'll be a clean slate so to speak so time will tell

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

You never know the fubar ducati chassis n handling might suit him and he may do a "stoner" and dominate probably not though.

nik52wrx

I didn't think there was the option of staying at Yamaha. Jorge and Vale on main factory bikes next year so bob hope there and Smiths already a signed Tech 3 rider and isn't Pol Espagaro rumoured to be getting the other bike?

You never know he might tame the Duke

I see Sam Lowes is now a potential Tech 3 rider.....

Nik

CrisPDuk

I think calling him a mercenary is a bit out of order

He knows he's only got a limited shelf life at this level, he knows he's good enough for a factory bike, and he also knows he isn't going to get one out of Yamaha, which leaves his options rather limited.

He'll never get a Honda because Marquez appears to be the real deal, Pedrosa is part of the furniture, and Crutchlow is probably too big to fit on one anyway.

There's no saying the Suzuki will be any good if and when it finally does arrive, let's face it, it was crap when they left

Which leaves the apparently poisoned chalice of Ducati, which when all is said and done is a quick bike, people have won races and championships with it. You never know, maybe Hayden leaving will be a help, Crutchlow & Dovi together (backed by Audi money now remember) could bring a new direction with the development

I say good luck to him

Christ knows, he's going to need it

ScoobyJawa

Two words - Career Ending

Tidgy

have to say i think this will signal the end of his career as well, the bags a sack of crap, he'd be faster on a push bike.

Cal what have you done

^Qwerty^

There is an interesting article in Bike Magazine this month, it being an interview with Alex Briggs(?).
Without saying too much, but reading between the lines, there is nothing wrong with the Ducati bike, or wouldn't be, if only the riders/spanners were able to do what they wanted with it rather than having some internal Ducati politics holding it back.

DarrenSTI

iTrader: (3)

Factory ride yes....but this bike just can't get sorted:-(
So would Hayden be leaving or Dovi?

It was said at US race Bradel may be out of the LCR Honda team, said Cal would suit it there 99.9% factory Honda.

See how it pans out soon I guess.

Donnie Brasco 46

iTrader: (2)

Yamaha did offer Crutchlow another year at Tech 3 with a contract directly with Yamaha (so factory parts) and they were even gonna chip in to improve his wages. The Suzuki recently tested with all other teams at Catalunya and was 8th quickest overall with de puniet riding who isn't that great. Suzuki were also rather good before they left Moto GP too, way faster than the Ducati and up with the Hondas and Yamahas.

Mercenary is a little harsh, but he's going from a potentially winning bike to one where he's got no hope of winning but with better wages. It's kinda like leaving arsenal to join notts county just because they have a new owner with plenty of mullah.

I would point out that I do like Crutchlow, he's fast and days what he is thinking. But purely IMO (and that of some others on here) I think that he's jumped out of the frying pan straight into the fire.....

Donnie Brasco 46

iTrader: (2)

Ps. Hayden is leaving ducati

trails

iTrader: (41)

gutted. loved watching him creap up on the aliens over the last two seasons and now unless he can Stonerise the thing or there is a fundamental change to the Duke it's game over.

http://www.calcrutchlow.com/News/Cal...570-82913.html

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Well I called it wrong when I said Lewis's move to Mercedes in F1 was a massive mistake. However I feel the same with Crutchlow. I really hope Audi come in and sort out whatever internal wranglings are messing up the Ducati, however, even the legend that is Rossi couldn't get anything out of it. Seems like the only one who could was Stoner and he rode everything like he didn't care if it threw him off. Crutchlow doesn't bounce very well so can't afford a bad off which would knacker his career.

Kwik

iTrader: (10)

I watched an interview recently with Rossi and he explained that a Japanese factory team will welcome as much criticism as possible, as they see it as a way of improving.
Whereas Ducati saw it as insulting and instead blamed the rider when the bike wasn't right.
I can't see this being a good decision for Cal, I don't see why he was unhappy on the tech 3. He only needs to see how far back Dovi has dropped to see which direction he will also go.
But, as already said Yam will never get rid of Rossi/Jorge and Marquez is as mad as a box of frogs and Pedrosa is championship winning material.

Suzuki were awful when they left MotoGP also.

CrisPDuk

Going off what's been said by Rossi, Stoner, Bayliss and others, the Ducati factory mentality would seem to be similar to that of pre Ross Brawn (and post, seemingly) Ferrari, i.e; you're paid to drive/ride, so do it

Hopefully Audi coming in will change all that, they're making big changes behind the scenes already if reports are to be believed

stedee

iTrader: (4)

other riders did comment that the suzuki was actually pretty good but they didnt have any decent riders

stedee

iTrader: (4)

i think it could be a good move tbh. obviously a gamble but where else could he have gone

DarrenSTI

iTrader: (3)

Ducati is such a strong brand, can't see how Audi can over turn this so much to change their Italian ways.

Doesn't Rossi have a 2yr contract?, so one year left.....Cal to stay at tech3 next year...move to factory Yamaha 2015....he's done plenty and more so to show case his skills on gp bikes.

Either way Cal Crutchlow is a fantastic rider, just want him on a top notch bike/team.

stedee

iTrader: (4)

thats what cal wanted but yamaha didnt want to sign up for that so far in advance, know one knows what rossi will be doing then or pol espargaro come to think of it.

CrisPDuk

Good article by Azi

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motogp/23550565

Tidgy

hmmm, the bit that catches my eye in that is the senior team management changes. Its a dog of a bike, if they can accept being told that and action it instead of blaming the rider (think rossi has proved its not the rider lol) then they may get somewhere, if not Cals career is over.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Not a good move for Cal

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

You should have organised his move if you could do better

urban

iTrader: (1)

Eh?
I never said I could do better?

Just look at the history of Ducati - Rossi, as good as he was, never really came close to winning with them, but thankfully he managed to get away from them in the end.

trails

iTrader: (41)

So after reading Cals articlas it seems that Lucy probably made the decision to go to Ducati

Kwik

iTrader: (10)

"Melandri, who partnered Stoner in 2008, cut short his two-year Ducati deal at the halfway point by mutual consent after failing to get to grips with the GP8. As Stoner rode it to six victories and a further five podiums that year, Melandri was told the problem was not the bike and was duly sent to a psychologist. "

stedee

iTrader: (4)

lol and that is true