| Author | Message | ||
     Akbuell |
Just went to BBC.com; they have a news story stating that Crutchlow signed for 2 yrs with Ducati, 2014-2015. | ||
| Jaimec |
Yup. So it looks like he cares more about the money than being the first British rider to win a GP race in decades after all.  Compare that to Rossi who reportedly took a huge pay CUT to get back on to a competitive machine again. | ||
| Simond |
It's not like he had many other options. I guess the thinking is that as long as he's third Yamaha/Honda rider he'll only be picking up the crumbs. Third or even fourth Yamaha was not an option and the best Honda would have been LCR. Maybe he knows something we don't about the future of the Ducati. It's a bit harsh comparing Rossi with Cal in that situation. Vale had already earned his millions at that stage and was trying to enhance his reputation. | ||
| Jaimec |
Now he'll get to dice with the CRT riders (or "non-MSMA" to use the new term) instead of dicing with the factory boys. Hope he's happy. | ||
| Jaimec |
Cal's former (and future) team mate chimes in: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Aug/130801b.ht m | ||
| 46champ |
I agree with Simond Cal might as well go for the paycheck. It is obvious that he will NEVER get a factory Yamaha bike and just as unlikely of getting a factory Honda ride. Fact is I feel that the only reason Stoner got the Honda factory bike in 2011 is they were desperate. Repsol seams to be completely happy to have nothing but Spanish riders. It would not surprise me that the factory Hondas have nothing but Spanish riders for 5 to 10 years or how ever long Repsol wants to write checks. If Cal or any other rider can ever win on a Ducati fame and fortune will be in abundance. They will be looked on as the savior to MotoGP racing. That was all there for Casey Stoner except he didn't have the personality for it. | ||
| Gaesati |
I'll still enjoy Cal and Dovi racing each other, even if on inferior machinery. | ||
| Gaesati |
I'll still enjoy Cal and Dovi racing each other, even if on inferior machinery. | ||
| Trojan |
You have to feel for Cal. Despite giving Yamaha everything, and being the second most succesful Yamaha rider for most of this season, they stabbed him in the back and signed an unknown quantity in Pol Espagaro on a full factory contract months ago. As Tech 3 have Bradley Smith signed to a cast iron two year contract it would have been hard for anyone to find a third option in the Tech 3 team (despite rumours of Smith being ousted to NGM on a 3rd rate customer Yamaha next year). Cal was belatedly given all sorts of hollow promises by Yamaha but in the end he had no guarantees of a factory seat or even factory status anytime in the forseeable future, and staying loyal to Yamaha showed no benefits whatsoever. Ducati is a huge gamble, although they may get it together with money from Audi long term I think he is in for a 'learning experience' next year. At 27 years old Cal can't afford to hang around in a 'relatively' poorly paid satellite team and wait for Lorenzo or Rossi to retire, then hope that Yamaha pick him above Esparago for the factory seat. At least with Ductai he will be paid enough to retire on  | ||
| Jaimec |
So having the most competitive machinery on the grid isn't considered a benefit? Well, at least Ducati now can work on their marketing strategy in the UK, any way. | ||
| Trojan |
So having the most competitive machinery on the grid isn't considered a benefit? Actually staying at Tech 3 gave him the 3rd most competitive Yamaha on the grid. At some circuits it is better than Honda and at others vice versa. The problem was that he was never going to get a factory ride at Yamaha so long as Lorenzo and Rossi stay, and when Yamaha signed Pol Espagaro on a full factory contract it was clear that cal would not be first in line if either of the factory riders decided to retire/move. That left him with no choice and absolutley no loyalty from Yamaha. Remember, Cal won the WSS championship for Yamaha as well as WSB races before moving to MotoGP despite attractive offers from other teams. He has been treated at least as badly as Ben Spies was (probably worse given his performance this year) and at least Ben got a shot at the factory team before being unceremoniously thrown out/jumped. It seems that Yamaha have learned nothing about rider loyalty and standing by their riders since their poor treatment of Phil Read & Barry Sheene all those years ago  The hurried press release from Yamaha this morning announcing the arrival of Pol Espagaro in the team don't even thank Cal for his efforts this year (unlike the similar press release from Ducati that thanked Nicky). Very poor show indeed chaps I'm not a Ducati fan particularly, but I really hope they can get their act together for next year now | ||
| Simond |
So having the most competitive machinery on the grid isn't considered a benefit? Of course it is but that isn't an option. I doubt that the LCR bike was really available. Why would they get rid of Bradl. He's having a better second year than Cal did and is a known quantity. Given the choice between a customer Yamaha engined CRT bike and a factory Ducati ride what would you do - particularly knowing how he has been royally screwed by Yamaha. | ||
| Jaimec |
From reports I read, he was offered a direct factory contract, just not a seat on the factory team. So when you get right down to it, all he was interested in was "bragging rights" (and a whole lot more cash). And frankly, I'd rather have a competitive satellite bike than a slug of a factory bike any day of the week. | ||
| Simond |
Honda or Yamaha? In which team? | ||
| Trojan |
No he wasn't actually offered a Yamaha factory contract. The reality was that Yamaha offered to help Tech 3 with an increase in his salary, which means a completely different thing unfortunately. Pol is on a full Yamaha contract already (and has been for months allegedly), so you can see that they never had any intention of keeping Cal with any view to future factory status. Also, with Espagaro signed for 2 years (directly to Yamaha remember, so 1st in line for the next factory seat), and Smith in the middle of a 2 year contract, there was really no room at yamaha for Crutchlow to stay at Tech 3, despite what Lin Jarvis has said. The alternative would have been a step down to a 'customer M1' with another team. He was offered a two year deal at Tech 3 last year, but without even a guarantee of satellite bikes for 2014 (because their deal with Yamaha was not a certainty next year) why would he risk that? The fault actually lies with the ridiculous rule that states that factories can only employ 4 riders (2 factory adn 2 satellite) each. Why DORNA would insist on this I don't know, as it limits the grid size, and more importantly the competitive rides, before the season even starts. At the end of the day, cal knows as much as anyone else that winning th title on a satellite bike (even a Yamaha) is impossible, and that the only way to get near is on a full factory bike. The move to Ducati is risky but if they manage to get it sorted who knows? | ||
| Trojan |
At least somebody has siad thank you, even if the offical yamaha & Tech 3 press releases don't: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresul ts/MotoGP/2013/August/aug0213-poncharal-sad-to-see -cal-go/ | ||
| Bads1 |
Marlboro not happy are they??lol https://www.facebook.com/ForzaDOOM/posts/536011803 139306 | ||
| Trojan |
I read something similar during the laguna seca weekend. However, Cal Crutchlow is reputably on €7 million so some/lots of that money must have come from Philip Morris/Marlboro (unless Monster have put a substantial investment into the team for next year?). Cal Crutchlow has a long standing personal sponsorship arrangement with Monster Energy drinks and it was apparently his presence at Tech 3 that brought them on board as full title sponsors for the team. Maybe they will follow him to Ducati and we'll see the Ducs in black next year? Wouldn't that be nice | ||
| Bads1 |
Those bikes will never be black as long as Phillip Morris has majority stake. Monster is a small company in comparison | ||
| Jaimec |
And I'd STILL rather have a competitive satellite bike than a factory slug. Numerous articles have already stated that the differences between the Tech3 bikes and the Factory bikes are very small. The biggest differences are the riders. Cal (and MOST of the grid) will be behind Lorenzo no matter WHAT they're on, but he was ahead of Rossi for awhile there (till Rossi and Burgess found the "magic setting" that gave Rossi more confidence in the front end). | ||
| Davegess |
I'd rather have 10 million dollars instead of $300,000. Don't think one can pass up that kind of money as you near the end of your chance to hit that jackpot. | ||
| Jaimec |
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresul ts/MotoGP/2013/August/aug0213-poncharal-sad-to-see -cal-go/ The pertinent quote in that article is:
Sounds like a "Factory Contract" to me. Salary is one thing, but I think you'll make a lot more money in sponsor endorsements if you're on the podium more often than if you're dicing with the CRTs at the back of the pack. | ||
| Trojan |
MCN have been known to get stuff very wrong (in this weeks issue they have an article stating that Erik Buell is just about to announce the release of the limited edition 1190RS, which will be limited to just 100 bikes for sale......I called them and explained what was really happening In a quote from Lin Jarvis (which I now can't find!) he stated that Yamaha would assist Tech 3 in giving Crutchlow an increased salary but were unable (or unwilling) to give him a full factory contract paid for by Yamaha as they simply could not afford him on top of Rossi and Lorenzo. Amazingly they managed to find enough to sign Espagaro on a full factory contract some months ago though, although I suspect he is considerably cheaper than Crutchlow. Interestingly, Pol Espagaro has not yet won a championship in any class outside Spain, so has yet to prove he is worth a factory deal. You and I would be happy to race the third best bike and maybe grab the occasional podium, IF the top 4 fall off or have a bad day, but Cal knows that he is low on the pecking order at Yamaha and needs the chance of a factory bike to win a championship. Going to Ducati is a massive risk but what choice did he have in terms of competitive FACTORY machinery that could possibly win a championship for him in future? I don't believe that he or Dovi will be fighting the CRT bikes for very long to be honest  | ||
| Simond |
Why is moving from third Yamaha to fourth Yamaha an attractive proposition? He would have been a fool to stay at Tech3 - even Herve Poncharal thinks so. | ||
| Jaimec |
Stoner to do Wild Card rides!! He just confirmed it by denying the rumors: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Aug/130807a.ht m | ||
| Trojan |
I must admit, much as I dislike Stoner.....I would love to see him come back for a wild card ride and get his ass handed to him on a plate by marc Marquez | ||
| Simond |
Are you sure that would happen at Phillip Island? I can't see any reason Honda would allow it if the Championship is not decided. There's no way Stoner would take a wildcard in which he had to support another rider. | ||
| Jaimec |
Matt: I see we think alike... | ||
| Bads1 |
Matt: I see we think alike Sorry to say I don't feel the same. I don't want to hear the crying as to why a Rookie beat him. I've had enough. | ||
| Xb1125r |
trojan "I must admit, much as I dislike Stoner.....I would love to see him come back for a wild card ride and get his ass handed to him on a plate by marc Marquez" I guess this is because Marquez already schooled Rossi! |
