With Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) recovering from winter break surgery, the HRC Sepang Test testing load has been heavily placed on Cal Crutchlow’s (LCR Honda Castrol) shoulders.
On Day 2, Crutchlow completed a gruelling 64 laps. It was another busy schedule for the British rider and although he and Honda got through what they intended, it wasn’t necessarily a successful day. The number 35 admitted that he isn’t finding “many positives” so far with the 2020 machine and the different things being tested, so it looks set to be a big final day at Sepang for Crutchlow and HRC.
“We did have a big test schedule today. It was a long day, no doubt about that,” began the three-time Grand Prix race winner. “64 laps around here riding our bike, you defo know about it. But we got through most of it. It was a difficult day. Today the track condition was not superb but we got through everything we needed to get through.
“At the moment, not so many positives. It was a difficult day in regards to improving the lap time from yesterday, we were consistent, but we were probably just not fast enough over a lap time if we tried to push to do one. Tomorrow is more of a day that we might put a lap time together but we’ll see.”
Front end feeling was one of Crutchlow’s main issues in 2019. So has this problem been rectified with the new bike?
“At the moment no. We have to keep working and trying to find something. We’re making modifications to the bike throughout the day and throughout the night. Last night they made some more modifications to the bike to improve it which is a good job by my team and Honda because every night they’ve been here until midnight, 2am trying to build stuff that might work.
“At the moment my front-end feeling is maybe worse than last year, which is not so positive, but there are positives areas of the bike. The engine seems a little bit stronger than last year which is always good, but we need to improve the feeling of the riders on the bike.”
Keep up with Day 3 of the Official MotoGP™ Sepang Test right here on motogp.com with Live Timing, midday and end-of-day reports, After the Flag, highlights and interviews.