Lorenzo's "special" talent doesn’t make him ace MotoGP tester – Crutchlow
Cal Crutchlow says Jorge Lorenzo's "very special" way on a MotoGP bike "doesn't mean he's a great test rider", in response to comments the Spaniard made on social media recently
Crutchlow will step down from a full-time racing career in MotoGP after this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix and will join Yamaha as its official test rider.
The outgoing LCR rider replaces triple MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo in the role, which the Spaniard took on after announcing his retirement from racing last year.
But, largely due to COVID-19, Lorenzo only had four days on the Yamaha in 2020 and all of them on the 2019 bike - with his last test at the Algarve Circuit ending with him some four seconds off the pace.
In the wake of Crutchlow's test role announcement with Yamaha, Lorenzo responded to a comment on social media saying "it's like exchanging gold for bronze".
But Crutchlow wasn't fazed by these comments when asked for his response on Friday, stating: "I don't really have anything to say to him. At the end of the day, he feels the way he feels.
"I fully respect him as a racer, five-times world champion. He will tell you a lot he's five-times world champion, but he's incredible as a racer and he's very, very special on the bike.
"But that doesn't mean he's a great test rider. It's as simple as that.
"I think you have to take some things he says with a pinch of salt and get on, so I'm sure it's affected him more than it's affected me.
"What he said, I can take it, but taking things with a pinch of salt with what he says because it comes from a guy that walks around telling people things all the time.
"At the end of the day, it's no skin off my back.
"I'm happy, I'm happy that I have things to do, I have a family, I have happiness, I have friends.
"Obviously, he's just bored at home."
Crutchlow opened up his Portuguese GP weekend and his final one as a competitive racer in 14th on the combined time sheets after Friday practice, though only just over half a second off the best pace of Avintia's Johann Zarco.
The LCR rider is one of a handful of riders on the grid with racing experience at the Algarve, having competed there in his World Supersport days.
The Yamaha trait that might just tame the "stressful" Portimao
Yamaha MotoGP problems 'avoided' on Portimao track - Vinales
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's Portugal win wasn't only vital for his MotoGP title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
How a MotoGP legend is preparing for an unexpected comeback at Goodwood
Wayne Rainey, who’s paralysed from the chest down, will ride his 1992 500cc world championship-winning bike again at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The American motorcycle legend explains how he's preparing to thrill on his first visit to the famed hillclimb