Crutchlow: Moto2 not best feeder ground for MotoGP
Cal Crutchlow doesn't believe Moto2 is a perfect place to graduate from for MotoGP and has advised current Moto3 championship leader Danny Kent to jump straight to the premier class.
Speaking ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the British rider feels Moto2 is not the ideal series to learn in preparation for MotoGP and says Kent should follow in the footsteps of his LCR Honda team-mate Jack Miller who skipped Moto2 last year after signing with Honda.
"I don't think Moto2 is the best feeder ground for MotoGP," Crutchlow said. "I believe the tyres and chassis they've got are more 'standard' and are not like 250cc, which were grand prix bikes. Everybody at the front [of MotoGP] has ridden a 'grand prix' bike as such, including Marc Marquez in 125.
"I just think it is difficult to come across. No disrespect to the Moto2 guys at all, but I don't look there and think there is anybody like when I used to watch as a kid and it was 250cc, then 500cc. I'm not saying I'm any better than them, because if I went to Moto2 it'd be hard to beat them.
"Loads of MotoGP guys would find that, because they are specialised to their class and category. I believe the guys in Moto2 are so good at Moto2 that if we [MotoGP riders] went back we'd struggle to beat them."
Crutchlow believes Kent should make the jump straight to MotoGP if he has the chance and use a full season to learn how to ride a MotoGP bike before concentrating on results.
Kent has been strongly linked with a move to Pramac Ducati in MotoGP on a three-year deal and it has also been rumoured the Brit may stay with his current team Leopard Racing for a promotion to Moto2 for 2016.
"The riders coming up are class riders. Unfortunately they are not Marc Marquez or Valentino Rossi but they can have a fantastic career in MotoGP, no doubt about that," Crutchlow said.
"With Danny thinking of coming and if he does a deal, he needs to not even think about results and just learn how to ride the bike.
"Jack is riding well, a lot better than people give him credit for. Jack wanted the results and has now put the pressure on himself a little bit. Danny will be completely different, he needs to just ride the bike and forget about everything but it is difficult.
"Danny's a great rider, but I think he would need to change his style a lot for MotoGP. Jack's style was more like MotoGP in Moto3, braking later than everyone else, a slow corner speed and being fast out of the corner."
The LCR Honda rider also warned Kent and other up-and-coming hopefuls to never miss out on the opportunity of reaching the pinnacle of MotoGP.
"I've always said, as soon as you can get here, get here," he explained. "If you get given the opportunity you have to take it because next year something might change, there might be no rides available or they'll be a situation with manufacturers. So if you get the opportunity now you should come."
