‘I know I’ll be last, but that’s Ok’ - Cal Crutchlow set for Hungary MotoGP debut

LCR Honda stand-in Cal Crutchlow admits “I know I’ll finish last” as he gears up for his MotoGP Hungarian Grand Prix debut as Johann Zarco’s replacement.

The three-time MotoGP race winner made his first grand prix start in three years last time out at Mugello, as LCR calls on him to stand in for the injured Johann Zarco.

Cal Crutchlow was forced to retire from the Italian Grand Prix due to a shoulder issue, which he carries into this weekend’s round at Balaton Park.

Injured and lacking in track knowledge, Crutchlow acknowledges that this will be a “difficult, challenging” weekend for him.

“Obviously, after the race, I stayed in Italy, I went for some MRI scans, got the diagnosis, understood what the problem is,” he said.

“But, I’m here in Hungary. I can try and ride with it. I don’t know. We’ll see. Obviously, in the race I didn’t feel too bad, but I knew it was not possible to finish the last race.

“Do I think it’s got any better? Potentially, but it’s not a thing that will get better overnight.

“Luckily it’s not a surgery thing, which is good, because I don’t need that at 40 years old.

“But it is what it is. It’s going to be difficult, challenging, because also I don’t know the circuit; I’ve never been here.”

Crutchlow was last on the grid at Mugello and finished there in the sprint.

He expects this will be the case again at Balaton Park, but is unfazed by this as “this is a building process”.

“I need to learn the laps, so it won’t be a fewer laps thing,” he said on trying to conserve his physical condition.

“The problem is, I’ll get 45 minutes in the morning, and then in the afternoon you start to hyperventilate because everyone is throwing 15 tyres to get into Q2.

“But luckily I’m never going to get into Q2, so it doesn’t fucking matter.

“I can just continue to ride round.

“I can have about 10 sets of tyres on Sunday because I’ve got them left over from the Friday!

“I’ll see how it is. Again, I know I’ll be last in every session.

“I know I’ll be last on the grid, and I know I’ll finish last.

“And I’m ok with that, because this is a building process, let’s say, at the moment.

“But we were actually very pleased with how Mugello went.

“The team, myself, and Honda, because to be so long off the bike and be able to jump back on and do respectable lap times, I was pleased enough.”