– Cal Crutchlow surprisingly makes his MotoGP comeback this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, and that with the team where he celebrated his greatest successes. The 40-year-old Briton is stepping in for the injured Johann Zarco at LCR-Honda. The basis for the decision was a test that Crutchlow completed on Wednesday in Misano.
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At this very Misano test, which began on Tuesday, all MotoGP test teams were present. Honda surprisingly decided on the second day to give Crutchlow a chance. Even more: because he performed satisfactorily, they are now preferring him over their own test riders as Zarco’s replacement for the Italian Grand Prix this weekend.
“As far as this weekend is concerned, I have great memories of LCR,” says Crutchlow with regard to his deployment in Mugello. “The years we spent together were great. So when I got the call to replace Zarco, I felt privileged and honored, and I just had to try.”
“We know it will be an intense weekend, but I am ready to give my best together with the rest of the team and make the best of it.”
Aleix Espargaro, one of the official Honda test riders since his retirement as a full-time rider, is not available because he crashed heavily in Sepang a few weeks ago and is not yet ready to race again.
Takaaki Nakagami is the official Honda development rider. In this role, the Japanese is currently supposed to fully focus on the development of the 850cc motorcycle for the 2027 MotoGP season. Therefore, he is also not used as Zarco’s replacement.
So now Crutchlow is making a surprising comeback. The Briton’s last MotoGP race was the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi, then as a wildcard starter for Yamaha. At LCR-Honda, where he is now stepping in, he once celebrated his greatest successes.
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Photo gallery: The career highlights of Cal Crutchlow
Crutchlow won each of his three MotoGP victories for Lucio Cecchinello’s team. The first victory came in 2016 at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno, followed by the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island the same year, and finally the Argentine Grand Prix 2018 in Termas de Rio Hondo. These were also the first MotoGP wins for LCR-Honda. Since then, the team has added two more (Austin 2023 with Alex Rins and Le Mans 2025 with Johann Zarco).
As for Crutchlow, he retired as a full-time MotoGP rider at the end of 2020. However, he returned shortly thereafter as a test and replacement rider. He joined Yamaha as an official test rider, replacing Jorge Lorenzo.
Crutchlow competed in several Grands Prix in 2021 and 2022 for both the Yamaha factory team and the then satellite team (Petronas and RNF). Two and a half years after his last appearance, the wildcard start in Motegi 2023, he is now returning.
Michele Pirro replaces Alex Marquez in the Gresini team
At LCR-Honda, it must be assumed that regular rider Johann Zarco will miss several race weekends. The Frenchman, who crashed heavily in Barcelona, is still waiting for an appointment to have surgery on his injured left leg.
Not only at LCR-Honda, but also at Gresini-Ducati, a replacement rider has been nominated. Because apart from Zarco, Alex Marquez is also not yet available again after the dramatic Barcelona weekend.
Alex Marquez, who also crashed heavily at the Catalonia Grand Prix, will be out for at least two race weekends, namely in Mugello and at the Hungarian Grand Prix at Balaton Park (June 6/7). The Gresini team has confirmed official Ducati test rider Michele Pirro as the replacement. Pirro already stepped in for the then injured Fermin Aldeguer at the start of the season in the Gresini team.
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