Crutchlow: Gear options from Superbike data

Most MotoGP manufacturers have access to data from their respective World Superbike projects ahead of Friday's debut at Thailand's Chang International Circuit.

But Cal Crutchlow doesn't think it can tell them a lot.

"A Superbike is completely different to a MotoGP bike. You can't understand the feeling, it's so difficult to explain the difference. Also they use a different tyre," said the LCR Honda rider, speaking in a boiling Buriram paddock on Thursday afternoon.

"But we obviously have the Superbike data to understand the gears and some speed in some corners.

"It takes us a long time to change the gear ratios, because they have to be changed internally. When we need to do an internal gear change in the race weekend we can do them between sessions, or at night.

"Now if we do them here we'd waste an hour of testing at least. Then if you get that one wrong you waste another hour. So that kind of information is always good at the start.

"You can sort of see anyway, we know the angles of the corners and lengths of the straights. I think the front straight we're not sure if it's 4th or 5th, but the other two [bigger] straights are clearly 6th so then you work it out from there."

While the stadium-style track has prompted comparisons with Valencia, the two long straights mean several riders described it as more like a flat version of the Red Bull Ring.

Crutchlow felt it is similar to Argentina's Termas de Rio Hondo.

"The surface is really black like Argentina, I presume it'll be quite slippy, same as Argentina and it's got some fast corners like Argentina. But I'll probably change my opinion after riding it…. It looks okay.

"It's great to have a grand prix here in Thailand for us and the fans. The track is a little bit boring for me at the moment, but it's strange because this type of track I will probably go quite well. It's my style of track.

"But I'm just going off some laps on a bicycle, because there is no elevation, no real good corners and I'm sure we'll get a wake up and maybe not so boring on a motorcycle. It looks quite technical actually, even though it's quite a short track.

"I think you really have to prepare a lot of the corners, more than you think at the moment."

And what is the most important thing to do when you arrive at a new track?

"To find the best coffee shop!" Crutchlow quipped, adding: "It's always a disaster for the riders when we have been training all winter - and there is a McDonald's and KFC at the entrance to the track!

"But seriously, the first thing we do is try and learn the circuit obviously and we've watched it on TV a little. As I said, we know the gears as such, but we have two different gear options to try.

"Then we will wait for someone else to set the reference time and try to beat it."

Do you have anything new to test here?

"Honestly, I haven’t sat down with the team to discuss our test plan completely. I'd be lying of I said yes and I'd be lying if I said no. But I know the plan was not. Sure, some small electronic things, but I mean no new parts as such."

Do you have the same engine as Repsol guys?

"I had the same engine in Malaysia."