Cal Crutchlow signs with Ducati

Crutchlow has signed a two year deal to join Ducati.

Yamaha have reported already signed Pol Espagaro for 2014.

Seems a huge career risk by Crutchlow. Only Stoner's been able to work the Ducati. Rossi couldn't. Hayden couldn't. Thus far Dovi's not controlled the beast either.

I thought Crutchlow could've got Bautista's Gresini Honda seat, but that looks like it will be Stoner's...

A big gamble but perhaps the best offer he had on the table. It is a factory team so that is a plus but on the negative Ducati have struggled for some time to produce a competitive bike.

CaledonianCraig wrote:A big gamble but perhaps the best offer he had on the table. It is a factory team so that is a plus but on the negative Ducati have struggled for some time to produce a competitive bike.

I thought Suzuki in 2015 was Cal's favoured move

Ducati must be paying big bucks. Dovi's on $2m...

But he needs a ride for next year and there will be no Suzuki's. Seems like it was the last option open to him.

I saw the news a bit earlier. It's probably a huge mistake but he wanted a factory bike and seemed to look past the fact that Ducati are............ not where they want to be.

The Special Juan wrote:I saw the news a bit earlier.  It's probably a huge mistake but he wanted a factory bike and seemed to look past the fact that Ducati are............  not where they want to be.

It probably is a mistake but his options were.....well there weren't any apart from Ducati.

CaledonianCraig wrote:But he needs a ride for next year and there will be no Suzuki's. Seems like it was the last option open to him.

Very true, but I'm surprised Cal didn't look for a private Honda.

Anything's better than the Beast!

I'd guess there were no competitive teams with available spots.

CaledonianCraig wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:I saw the news a bit earlier.  It's probably a huge mistake but he wanted a factory bike and seemed to look past the fact that Ducati are............  not where they want to be.

It probably is a mistake but his options were.....well there weren't any apart from Ducati.

Definitely. It was probably his only option and if he didn't take it, he faced having no ride at all. With the new rule implemented recently about teams having up to 4 riders, I wonder if another factory Yamaha or Honda would have come along at the end of the season.

I don't think he could afford to wait to be honest. I suppose there is the outside chance that he has been suitably impressed by Ducati's assurances over their new bike.