After riding Franco Morbidelli’s 2019 Yamaha durinꩲg both Austrian MotoGP rounds, Cal Crutchlow returns to the more familiar 2021 M1 Yamaha this weekend at Silverstone. 

T🏅he British rider’s early sea✤son tests were all carried out on 2021 machinery, while outings on the 2022 bike are set to take place soon. 

But before tha﷽t happens, Crutchlow wil🔯l be completing the third of his three scheduled stand-in rides - this weekend being the first with Monster Energy Yamaha due to Maverick Vinales and the team’s split.

Looking beyond Silverstone, Crutchlow himself knows exact🍌ly how long or not he will continue racing for, however, the former LCR Honda rider was unwilling to share that with the world’s media during Thursday’s pre-event press conference. 

"Yes I do know how long I will be racing and no I won’t be telling you; not you (specifically) but I mean everybody [laughs], because this is not my business," ꩵadded Crutchlow. 

"I will be raꩲcing here this weekend which is always good and I think it’s good that Iꦉ’m on the 2021 bike. 

"This is the bike I have been testing earlier in the year. I’m sure the direction for next 🎶year’s bike which I will start to test s✅oon will be more directed on the 2021 bike, so anything we learn is helpful. 

"Anything we can give to Fabio [Quartararo] and to the other guys on the 2021 bike is always positive. The good thing with me is they can do what they want. Th💦ese guys have a championship to race in." 

After missing out on a home GP last year due to Cov꧒id-19, Crutchlow believed racing at Silverstone would ‘never’ come around again, while calling it ‘a privilege’ to do so for the factory Yamaha squad. 

Crutchlow said: "It’s gre𝔉at tꦍo come to Silverstone. I never thought I’d be racing a Silverstone Grand Prix again after I retired last year. 

"So, to come back; obviously to miss last year was already disappointing, but to be a🔴ble to come back this𒉰 weekend with the Monster Energy Yamaha team is a privilege. 

"It’s a privilege to ride Silverstone anyway, but now with the ful🎃l crowd it’s going to be entertaining for everybody. I look forward to getting out there and trying to do my best. 

"Obviously, riding in Austria wasn’t easy a🌠fter sไo long off the bike, but to come here this weekend in maybe a little bit better of a situation after the last two races is good and I look forward to seeing what we can do."