After February's first testing opportunity in Sepang was cancelled, Cal Crutchlow will get his first taste of the 2021 M1 Yamaha at the MotoGP shakedown test in ꦬQatar.

Crutchlow last rode for Yamaha in 2013 when he was part of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team. The Brit then spe෴nt one season with Ducati in 2014, before a move to LCR Honda where h🐓e has been until the end of last season.

Yamaha go into the new season with qui🐻te a lot of change, as Crutchlow takes the place of Jorge Lorenzo as test rider while Valentino Rossi and Fabio Quartararo effectively sw🎐apped seats. 

After three months away f📖rom riding on track, Crutchlow plans to use this time adapting to the 2021 M1 bike and building up his comfort level.  

"We ha🅠ve a long list with Yamaha of stuff to test but the first thing is for me to be able to ride the bike and get comfortable," said Crutchlow.

"These first threeꦐ days will be about riding the Yamaha and for me to understand t🐈he bike. Yes, a motorcycle is a motorcycle but I’ve ridden something different for the last seven years.

"The first three days will be difficult because 🌳I will be sharing the bike with two other Japanes๊e riders and we need to keep the settings the same, which will be very difficult, especially for me position-wise on the bike. So the handlebars, the ergonomics.

༒"We all have to keep the same so we can s🦂wap the bikes over the three days, so I think that will be very difficult but -then again- not too bad for me just to learn the bike."

After being with Honda for six seasons, wh♛ich coincidently has been Yamaha's biggest rival, Cr꧂utchlow will be bringing valuable experience to the Japanese manufacturer.

Crutchlow added: My experience is one of the reasons they emp꧟loyed me to do this job. My experience of riding in MotoGP with different manufacturers and being able to race understanding different b♎ikes.

"Yes, with Ducati I had a more difficult year but I was still on the podium and I was fast at the end of the seඣason.

"I was fast with every bike I rode in🤡 MotoGP. Experience is one thing a๊nd being able to evaluate things: as you know, in my years with Honda, I did a lot of the testing and evaluating of the parts.

"I don’t need to bring secrets. There are no secrets. Yamaha have their own philosophy and Honda ꧙and Ducati have theirs. You bring experience and your own of working in teams and manufacturers but I don’t think people a🐻re ever looking to copy another bike because they all have their own DNA and philosophy."