Cal Crutchlow in MotoGP wild-card colours at Motegi

The Englishman, Yamaha’s official MotoGP test rider, was also appearing in the same YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team livery that he will use in the 29th September -1st October event.

Yamaha MotoGP project leader Kazutoshi Seki previously made big claims about the significance of Crutchlow’s wild-card, saying: “I believe this will be a significant turning point to improve the performance of the YZR-M1.

“The engineers are working very hard, and Cal‘s participation in the Japanese GP benefits the improvement of the YZR-M1 for the factory team – not only for this season but also for the next.”

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However, Monster Yamaha's former MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo played down the chances of a major breakthrough from the wild-card alone.

“Well, it’s just a wild-card,” he said. “I don’t think it will be a big turning point for us. Cal is doing tests. But hopefully it’s true and it can be a turning point."

Yamaha were coy on the itinerary for Crutchlow’s latest test, saying only that the ‘YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team made their first steps towards their mission to accelerate bike development.’

Quartararo and team-mate Franco Morbidelli homologated a new fairing design at Silverstone last weekend, which the Frenchman intends to continue with at the Red Bull Ring.

Crutchlow, a three-time MotoGP winner for Honda during his full-time career, competed in the final six rounds of last season as a stand-in for Andrea Dovizioso at RNF Yamaha.