Cal Crutchlow will extend his MotoGP comeback by standing in for Johann Zarco at the Hungarian Grand Prix, LCR Honda has confirmed. The British rider, who retired from full-time racing in 2020, was initially called up to replace Zarco at the Italian Grand Prix following the Frenchman’s knee injury in a dramatic crash at Catalunya.
Zarco, a two-time MotoGP race winner, is awaiting surgery on his injured knee after suffering burns that need to heal before an operation can be performed safely. While Zarco recovers, Crutchlow—who won all three of his premier class races with LCR between 2015 and 2020—will step in for his second consecutive outing of the season, this time at Hungary’s Balaton Park.
Crutchlow’s return at Mugello saw him qualify and finish last in the sprint, before retiring from the main race due to shoulder pain from a muscle tear. “Unfortunately, this morning in warm-up, I did something to my shoulder. I had some checks in the medical centre and we can see some damage. It was advised to do what I could do in the race and that was it,” he explained.
The Hungarian Grand Prix will mark Crutchlow’s first race at Balaton Park, which joined the MotoGP calendar last season. LCR expressed their excitement to have Crutchlow back, stating, “We hope you are all ready for some more exciting media scrums!” as the veteran aims to help the team amid Zarco’s ongoing recovery.
