Cal Crutchlow re-signs for Tech 3 Yamaha
Cal Crutchlow has re-signed with Tech 3 Yamaha, which will field an all-British line-up in the 2013 MotoGP World Championship.
Crutchlow will ride alongside Tech 3's Moto2 star Bradley Smith, whose move to MotoGP was confirmed last September.
Smith has a two-year MotoGP contract while Crutchlow, whose attempts to get a factory ride at either Yamaha or Ducati slipped away, has signed a one-year deal.
2013 will be Crutchlow's third year in MotoGP and with Tech 3. He is currently fifth in the world championship with a best MotoGP finish of fourth.
"I am delighted to commit my future to the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team for at least one more year," said 26-year-old Crutchlow, a former World Supersport champion and World Superbike race winner with Yamaha.
"Together we have made huge progress this season and achieved some strong results and I am confident we can be even more competitive in 2013.
"Next year will be my fifth with Yamaha and I am excited to continue my MotoGP career with them. My relationship with Tech 3 also played a big part in my decision.
"Herve Poncharal and all my crew have given me unbelievable backing since I joined in 2011. Yamaha put together a great package for 2012 and next year it will be even stronger.
"Hopefully I can reward their loyalty by challenging for the podium throughout 2013, which I know we are capable of."
21-year-old Smith will take the place of Andrea Dovizioso, who has scored five podiums in his debut season for Tech 3 and is to replace Valentino Rossi at the factory Ducati team next season.
"It is an honour for me to get the opportunity to move to MotoGP with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team," said Smith, a 125cc grand prix winner and Moto2 podium finisher.
"I have dreamed about being a MotoGP rider for as long as I can remember and to get this chance with such a professional and successful team is fantastic.
"It is clear from the results achieved by Cal and Andrea in 2012 that together Tech 3, Yamaha and Monster is a very competitive package and I can't wait to begin this new adventure in my career.
"I know I have a huge challenge ahead of me but I believe in my ability and I am grateful to Herve Poncharal, Yamaha and Monster for showing a lot of confidence in me to offer me this chance.
"I already know the Tech 3 Team so it won't be s uch a huge transition for me and I have a good relationship with Cal. This will be very important because I can learn a lot from him.
"I am now looking forward to finishing the season strongly in Moto2 for Tech 3 Racing before I get my first chance to ride a YZR-M1 machine in Valencia."
Team manager Herve Poncharal called the Crutchlow-Smith line-up 'the strongest we could put together' for 2013.
"Cal has done an amazing job this season and I am convinced that he is only going to continue to improve," said Poncharal.
"He is a fast rider but also a big personality and we were determined to keep him with us for next season. We know there was a lot of interest in him, so for us to capture his signature is a big positive.
"Bradley has demonstrated his high potential in Moto2 and I have every confidence in him that he will be competitive in MotoGP. Of course he faces a very difficult challenge because the level now in MotoGP is incredible.
"But he has a great attitude and a big desire to make this new chapter in his career a successful one. What I can assure him is that Tech 3, Yamaha and Monster will give him 100% support to help him show his potential.
"I have no doubt this is the strongest line-up we could have put together for next season and we can look ahead to 2013 with high expectations."
While MotoGP team's having two riders of the same nationality is relatively rare, Tech 3 ran an all-American line-up of Colin Edwards and Ben Spies in 2010 and Repsol Honda has signed Spaniards Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez for 2013.
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