Cal Crutchlow: Alex deserves seat, Taka's riding well

Confirmation of Takaaki Nakagami's new contract officially completes Honda's 2021 MotoGP line-up.

Marc Marquez will be joined by new signing Pol Espargaro at the factory Repsol team, while brother Alex moves to LCR alongside Nakagami, who is being upgraded to the latest machinery.

But as has been clear since the Espargaro-Alex Marquez reshuffle was confirmed, there will be no room for Cal Crutchlow, who has won three races for Honda during six seasons at the LCR squad.

Asked if Alex Marquez's back-to-back podiums means his Repsol exit, before even turning a wheel in the premier-class, was premature, the Englishman said:

"No. I think that Honda jumped on their instincts. They moved on the instincts of what they know and what they know about this championship. I don't think it's any wrong move.

"Now as you can see Alex definitely deserves a MotoGP seat and his seat in the team he’s in. I will say he’s on a Honda contract and he's going to get a factory bike next year. I think that my team is a very good team and he’ll do just as well in either team if you see what I mean. I'm sure he's not going to worry for resources!

"With regards to Taka, we all knew he was going to sign again with Honda and hopefully he’s got a good deal because he’s done a good job this year. Having said that, he’s still not a podium finisher. And he's been riding very, very well. There's no doubt about that. So maybe this weekend he's a podium finisher."

Crutchlow's own 2021 race options hinge on whether he can secure the second factory Aprilia seat, the only ride yet to be confirmed, which in-turn depends on the outcome of Andrea Iannone's doping appeal.

"I’m in good situation in my life, I feel I’ve done everything I can in MotoGP. I’ve tried my best every time I got on the bike. And if – if - I stop now, I’ll be happy with what I’ve done. Because I’ve left nothing on table. I've given 100%. I haven’t won the world title, but I gave absolutely everything," Crutchlow said.

"As I told you before, I still want to race and still think I’m competitive. If the option is available, I’ll look at it at the time. But at the moment, there isn’t an option available."

Commenting on rumours that Ducati's title contender Andrea Dovizioso, also out of a ride, isn't likely to be interested in Aprilia unless there is a much bigger commitment made to its MotoGP project, Crutchlow said:

"I don’t think there is a shortage of investment in Aprilia. They’re doing a great job. They'll continue to grow their project. They have a great leader with Massimo (Rivola). They have a good rider with Aleix. Technically, they’re doing better year upon year.

"So it's absolutely something I’ll look at. Yes, I do talk to them, of course…"