Crutchlow 'wasted time' trying Honda parts in Jerez MotoGP practice

The Briton has become increasingly involved in Honda's development programme over the last 18 months, including taking responsibility for evaluating new parts at Le Mans midweek when Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa opted not to test.

Including a new exhaust, that work has carried into the race weekend at Jerez, which Crutchlow says has cost him time to set his bike up, despite qualifying third to join the factory pair on the front row.

"We are wasting time testing things for Honda at the moment, in my own sessions," he said.

"It's very good for testing for Honda and very good for the team and me to be given the job, but it's hard work.

"The team have been working very hard, and it's been tiresome.

"Long nights for the guys in the garage, and we haven't worked so much on the set-up. But we're very happy to do it.

"I think we're doing a good job so far this weekend, and being able to give the information to Honda to improve in the future.

"It's a nice job to have and we're fast at the same moment."

Crutchlow, fifth in the championship, finished qualifying 0.204 seconds off the pace set by Pedrosa after losing time in the final sector.

Asked if the extra work had held him back, he acknowledged that he "probably would've been faster" otherwise.

"I haven't changed much with the bike this weekend, geometry-, suspension-wise, because we've been working in one area," he said.

"Tonight the guys will be able to look at the data."

Honda has also introduced new anti-wheelie software to go with its revamped 2017 engine, and Crutchlow said accepting any request to test parts was made considering the big picture.

"This is a one-off weekend," he said.

"We don't have something new every weekend.

"In a race weekend it's difficult to do what we're doing.

"I'm willing to waste it [this weekend], but I'm also on the pace. If I was 15th, you'd have no chance of me carrying on with it.

"Will it help me improve my lap time? At the moment, no. Will it help me cover a race distance tomorrow? Probably not really.

"But in three races? Maybe. Will it help us in the manufacturers' championship? Yeah. "Will it help me to be faster over a season? Yeah, I think so.

"Then it's a win-win for me at the moment for that reason, maybe not for tomorrow."