Britain’s Cal Crutchlow has insisted his split with the Ducati MotoGP team just days after it was announced he was to stay with the factory was friendly.

The Coventry man switched to LCR Honda after Stefan Bradl was found to be surplus to HRC’s requirements and a gap opened up Lucio Checchinello's squad, which will be backed by the British financial services firm CWM.

“The deal came late in the month after we had said that I was staying with Ducati. We mutually agreed after that that I was to leave at the end of the season. Obviously, I still have to race for Ducati until the end of the year and give 100 per cent for them and look forward to the rest of the season ahead,” said Crutchlow, speaking at Indianapolis.

“The deal only arrived that week. It happened quick but this is racing. A friendly agreement was made between me and Ducati to leave and I was happy with the decision I made.”