Cal Crutchlow’s wild card appearance in Japan resulted in two long lap penalties and a mere three points. This was his first race with Yamaha since 2021. Both official Yamaha riders, Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, faced challenges during the weekend in Motegi, marking one of their most difficult weekends of the season.
Yamaha, currently lagging in the Constructors’ rankings, is acutely aware of the M1’s limitations. In a bid to address these issues, they are keen on retaining Crutchlow’s services until 2026. “They want me to sign a new three-year contract,” Crutchlow revealed post the Japanese Grand Prix, as reported by Crash.net.
However, Crutchlow believes that Yamaha needs to reassess its test team’s work program for him to consider an extension. He emphasized the need for consistent testing, stating, “We need to make sure we’re more consistently on the bike, also for the engineers. That’s how you make progress.”
Crutchlow also expressed concerns about the bike he rode in Motegi, particularly highlighting the challenges posed by the wider hull on the M1. He believes that while it might offer better acceleration, it compromises performance in other areas.
Acceleration is a known weak point of the Yamaha prototype. While Quartararo has been vocal about wanting more power for 2024, Crutchlow feels the focus should be on engine fluidity. He explained, “We don’t need more power. We need a smoother engine.” He further elaborated that the current engine’s character makes corner exits challenging, leading to issues with acceleration.
In conclusion, Crutchlow believes that Yamaha needs to address the engine’s character to improve its performance, especially in corner exits. Only time will tell if Yamaha heeds his advice and whether Crutchlow will extend his contract with the team.