British motorsport is certainly not deprived of success. There are multiple world champions in Formula One, Touring Cars, Endurance racing and many other disciplines.
However, on four wheels, British motorcycling hadn’t seen even a winner in the premier class for over thirty five years…
That was, until a certain thirty five changed that this year.
Cal Crutchlow’s career in MotoGP had been a case of missed opportunities. His time at Tech 3 had the potential of a win, but saw Crutchlow settle with second and third time after time.
The move to Ducati, which was meant to elevate him to an “Alien” status, was a failure. Crutchlow only really saw the true potential of the GP14 at the season’s end, when he had already signed a deal with LCR.
His time with Honda looked to be going in the same direction. The 2015 package was awful, with even Marc Marquez being unable to manage the machine. But that all changed this season.
Crutchlow’s win at Brno was a masterpiece. It showed everyone why the Briton is respected throughout the paddock and in the wider motorcycling community. His grit, determination and clever riding allowed him to end the British curse in the premier class.
Doing it once would’ve been enough. Crutchlow had shown everyone he still had it in him and was able to actually win a race. But the Briton wasn’t done just yet.
He followed it up with a storming ride at Silverstone, a place where Crutchlow has been cursed at since he moved up to MotoGP. Then, just to add to that, he won at Phillip Island in the dry.
It may not have been a Championship challenging season for Crutchlow, but it was certainly an important one, for both him and British motorcycling.
Crutchlow proved that you don’t have to be an Alien to win in MotoGP. He proved that with enough resilience and patience, an underperforming package can bring you results. This is something that has rung true with all Honda riders this season, apart from poor Tito Rabat…
But this win is massive for British motorsport and Cal Crutchlow. It shows that the Brits are finally back as a major force in motorcycling, with bags of potential waiting in the wings. With Sam Lowes joining Aprilia next year, bringing the total of British riders up to four, the Brits are certainly not going anywhere soon…
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