Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow (born 29 October 1985) is an English professional motorcycle racer who retired from regular competition after the 2020 season.

He is contracted as a test rider for Yamaha Motor Racing, which he is expected to continue in 2022 and 2023.

During 2021 he returned to race for two Yamaha teams as a replacement rider in four MotoGP events, and replaced Andrea Dovizioso for the last six events of 2022 after Dovizioso's retirement announced mid-season.

Crutchlow competed in the MotoGP class from to and is a three-time race winner in both MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship.

Crutchlow won the UK Junior Challenge in 1999, and the Aprilia RS125 Challenge in 2001.

He was runner-up in the 2003 Yamaha R6 Cup behind Tommy Hill, who earned a factory sponsored ride in the British Superbike series for this achievement.

After winning the 2006 British Supersport Championship, he became the Supersport World Championship champion in 2009 with Yamaha.

He won the British Supersport Championship in 2006, after a 3-year stint in the series in which he finished 3rd in 2005.

As of 2007 he did not hold a motorcycle licence for the road.

He had football trials with Coventry City and Aston Villa as a youth, but after a knee injury chose to concentrate on motorcycle racing.

For 2007 he made his debut in the prestigious British Superbike Championship, with the Rizla Suzuki team alongside four-time runner-up Chris Walker.

He took pole at Croft, and finished 9th overall after finishing the season with his first podium, third at Brands Hatch.

He also won races in the British Superbike Championship finishing 3rd in 2008 and in the Superbike World Championship finishing 5th in 2010.

For 2008 he moved to HM Plant Honda, sponsored by CIA Insurance.

He took his first series win in race 2 at Thruxton.

He took pole for round 3 at Oulton Park – he led race 1 before running wide in damp conditions, and crashed heavily out of 2nd place in race 2, injuring his ankle in the process.

After initially having the better of teammate Leon Haslam, Crutchlow was ultimately outpointed by him.

He took two wins in the season, and finished 3rd overall in the championship, beating Tom Sykes by two points after the Yorkshireman had a late mechanical failure in the final round.

On 23 September 2008, it was confirmed that Crutchlow had signed a deal to ride for the Wilco Zeelenberg-managed Yamaha factory team in the 2009 World Supersport Championship.

He finished in the top four at every race until a mechanical failure while leading at Brno, and found himself in a two-way championship dice with surprise package Eugene Laverty on a Parkalgar Honda.

Crutchlow lead the championship until a gearbox failure while leading at Imola meant that Eugene Laverty moved to within 3 points.

However, at Magny-Cours after an intense start Laverty crashed, but picked his bike back up to leave him 19 points behind Crutchlow with 1 race at Portimão left.

Laverty won in Portugal, but a fourth place by Crutchlow was enough to secure him the 2009 championship.

On 1 October 2009 Yamaha announced that Crutchlow would make the move from World Supersport to the Superbike World Championship in 2010.

His teammate was former world champion James Toseland, who rejoined the Superbike World Championship after losing his place in MotoGP.

He took his first series pole at his second meeting, at Portimão, but did not win either race.

He stoked controversy after the first race there by mentioning in an interview that he was well clear of Toseland when he crashed out, but insists that he is not arrogant.

Toseland later pointed out that Crutchlow's tendency to speak his mind means that not everybody can get on with him.

In 2011, Crutchlow joined the MotoGP World Championship with Monster Yamaha Tech 3.

After finishing his rookie season in without a podium finish, Crutchlow managed to achieve two podium finishes and finished 7th in the overall standings in.

This earned him a move to the factory Ducati team in finishing 13th in the championship with a podium finish in Aragon.

After one season with Ducati, Crutchlow moved to LCR Honda in 2015.

He won the 2016 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix becoming the first Briton since Barry Sheene in 1981 to win a premier class race, which he followed up with another win in Australia.

In early 2017, the RAC awarded Crutchlow the Torrens Trophy, an accolade made in recognition of "outstanding contribution to motorcycling in the United Kingdom".

Born in Coventry, England, he was named Cal after the American motorcycle racer Cal Rayborn.

Although his father Derek was a racer, he did not become interested in the sport himself until age 11.

In, Crutchlow managed four podium finishes, a points tally of 188 and finished 5th in the overall standings as the top satellite (non-factory) rider.

After one podium in, Crutchlow achieved his 3rd premier class win in Argentina in 2018.

Another three podiums followed in and after the 2020 season without a top five finish, Crutchlow was replaced by Álex Márquez for.

Crutchlow and Álex Rins are the only LCR Honda riders to date to win a MotoGP race, and Crutchlow finished on the podium in MotoGP for eight consecutive seasons from to.