Ahead of the GoPro British Grand Prix, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) spoke to The Independent in an exclusive interview to talk about his contract extension with Honda and how wife Lucy and daughter Willow have only increased his determination in MotoGP™.
The interview starts with the three-time Grand Prix winner talking about his contract extension with his LCR Honda Team and HRC, explaining that discussions to join the Repsol Honda Team took place but in the end, Crutchlow was more than happy to stay with Lucio Ceccinello’s setup: “I negotiated everything in Qatar, so that was at the start of the year… It was discussed but I preferred to stay where I am. I have a great situation with Lucio here, being in a factory team is not always cut-out, it’s not always what it seems on paper.”
The conversation then moves onto how the British rider has adjusted to having two-year-old daughter Willow travel the world with him and his wife Lucy. Of course, family comes first, but the 32-year-old comments on how he now works even harder: “In the end I feel I work harder now. Sure, I have Willow and I take care of her like a normal father of course, but I work harder now because I want her to inherit more when I stop racing and it gives me the motivation to keep working harder. I won’t do it forever and I’m sure I can then spend more time with family, but I think at the moment I do a pretty good job at finding a balance.”
“It helps that my wife’s organised enough to let me do what I’ve got to concentrate on at a race weekend… But there’s nothing better than after a race or after a session than being with my daughter, it makes no difference. It’s not going to make me go any faster or go any slower.”
Read the full in-depth interview with Crutchlow on The Independent’s website!