Photo: Ducati
It may sound funny, but it looks like Cal Crutchlow’s future season is anything but a settled story. Gpone reports about a completely new turn of events, with last-minute calls and lots of rider management drama. Believe it or not, as far as our Italian understanding serves us, it looks like Lucio Cecchinello, the boss of Honda’s LCR satellite team is desperate to employ the services of the Manx-native rider…
We knew that Crutchlow had signed a 1+1 contract with Ducati at the beginning of the 2014 season. This means he had secured a factory ride for the first year, but that a second season spent with the Italian manufacturer was not mandatory. Until yesterday, 31 July, Cal Crutchlow had the possibility to pull out of his Ducati contract and become a free rider.
Still, we recently reported that Crutchlow, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna had reached an agreement, and he was ready to take on the next season wearing the same livery. Ducati officials sort of confirmed that the team would field a 3-factory line-up, with Cal Crutchlow, and the two Andreas: Dovizioso and Iannone. But…
Bob Moore, Crutchlow’s manager says he got a last-minute offer from Lucio Cecchinello who desperately wanted to have him aboard the satellite RC213V bike German Stefan Bradl is currently using now. Honda and LCR were not that fast to offer Bradl a new contract, so it looks like he inked a deal with NGM Forward Yamaha, therefore being unavailable when LCR finally decided to ask him about an extension.
To make things even worse, English financial group CWM has finally confirmed becoming a sponsor for LCR, so more money became available. The perspective of being left without a rider put Lucio Cecchinello in a rather difficult situation, and it looks like both him and Honda’s Livio Suppo are now trying to mend things. Cecchinello says that the only rider without a firm contract he knows of is Alvaro Bautista. Period. Nothing more added makes us believe that LCR is not that keen to have Bautista at the helm of their bike.
Now, from Ducati and Cructhlow only silence comes. We don’t know FOR SURE whether Cal actually used with contract clause and decided to swap the Ducati for the LCR Honda machine or if he indeed inked the deal with Borgo Panigale.
If he’s a free rider, then so much better for Cechinello and Honda, and even for Dall’Igna, we’d say. With only Dovi and Iannone in the team, the Italian engineer and his team will only have to supply 4 all-new GP15 Desmosedici bikes for the 2015 season, instead of 6, and this would obviously ease up the efforts for Ducati.
If however Cal DID sign the Ducati contract for one more year, it’s up to Suppo and Checchinello to try and convince Domenicali and Dall’Igna to release Crutchlow. Wonder if they will, and how much will be buyout be…
Anyway, this game is getting weird!
Via gpone
Still, we recently reported that Crutchlow, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna had reached an agreement, and he was ready to take on the next season wearing the same livery. Ducati officials sort of confirmed that the team would field a 3-factory line-up, with Cal Crutchlow, and the two Andreas: Dovizioso and Iannone. But…
Bob Moore, Crutchlow’s manager says he got a last-minute offer from Lucio Cecchinello who desperately wanted to have him aboard the satellite RC213V bike German Stefan Bradl is currently using now. Honda and LCR were not that fast to offer Bradl a new contract, so it looks like he inked a deal with NGM Forward Yamaha, therefore being unavailable when LCR finally decided to ask him about an extension.
To make things even worse, English financial group CWM has finally confirmed becoming a sponsor for LCR, so more money became available. The perspective of being left without a rider put Lucio Cecchinello in a rather difficult situation, and it looks like both him and Honda’s Livio Suppo are now trying to mend things. Cecchinello says that the only rider without a firm contract he knows of is Alvaro Bautista. Period. Nothing more added makes us believe that LCR is not that keen to have Bautista at the helm of their bike.
Now, from Ducati and Cructhlow only silence comes. We don’t know FOR SURE whether Cal actually used with contract clause and decided to swap the Ducati for the LCR Honda machine or if he indeed inked the deal with Borgo Panigale.
If he’s a free rider, then so much better for Cechinello and Honda, and even for Dall’Igna, we’d say. With only Dovi and Iannone in the team, the Italian engineer and his team will only have to supply 4 all-new GP15 Desmosedici bikes for the 2015 season, instead of 6, and this would obviously ease up the efforts for Ducati.
If however Cal DID sign the Ducati contract for one more year, it’s up to Suppo and Checchinello to try and convince Domenicali and Dall’Igna to release Crutchlow. Wonder if they will, and how much will be buyout be…
Anyway, this game is getting weird!
Via gpone
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