It's taken 18-months for a bike-𒁏lowering holeshot device, first seen on the Ducatis during 2019 pre-season testing, to sprea🍃d across the MotoGP grid.

Or nearly all of the grid anyway.

LCR Honda's Cal𝓀 Crutchlow believes he is now "probably the only rider without the start device" available, his team-mate Takaaki Nakagami recently getting the system for his 2019-spec machine.

But since Crutchlow is leavꦦing Honda at the end of this year, he understands the decis🐻ion:

"I think it's completely normal that Taka gets the new stuff, the most updated stuff. He will be riding the 2021 Hond🍸a next year and I won't be, so I think it's a natural thing💯.

"The worse thing is that our bikes used 🌌to be really good at starts compared to the others, and then they got the holeshot devices and we started to struggle. [Nꦍow] the Honda riders who have had it for a few races seems to be getting a lot better starts.

"It means you have to try to start from the front row, which is quite difficult. B🦄ut it's the way it is.

"We are still working hard and no matter what bike is underneath m♉e I will always give 100% to try to better myself and improve the package I have with Beefy [crew chief]."

Unfortunately for Crutchlow, he only quaꦇlified in 16th place for his MotoGP return (from complications related to arm pump su🐓rgery) in Catalunya.

And despite Johann Zarco and Andr♎ea Dov♋izioso crashing out at Turn 2, the Englishman was still down in 16th by the end of the opening race lap.

Crutchlow then worked his way steadily forwards, spending the final stages battling with Misano winner Maverick Vinales before taking the flag les🌌s than a second behind the M🔥onster Yamaha rider, in tenth. The result was Crutchlow's best of the season so far.

“It was a positive day to finish the race and be in the top 10, I expected a little more but I was unable to get a good start,෴" he said. "I always knew the start was going to be a ꦜchallenging part of the race as I was probably the only rider on the grid without the start device.

"But I think we did a good job in the race to be battling with riders who had good results last week and, not having been on the bike for a long time, it was good to get ꦰrace distance under my 💞belt.

"I had some pain and problems with my arm, but I felt I didn’t finish the race too bad and with a different setting on the bike we could have been a little🍌 bit better.”

While Crutchlow awaits the possible arrival of a start device, more manufacturers are joining Ducati in expanding on the system so that it can also be usedꦯ to lower the ride-height (and therefore reduce wheelies) under hard acceleration out of slow corners.

The triple MotoGP race winner is hoping to join Aprilia next ⭕season, but the factory is currently awaiting the outcome of Andrea Iannone's appeal against an 18-month doping ban.