LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow has this year yet to repeat the two MotoGP victories he bagged in 2016 but has spent a lot of track time this year testing parts for HRC and his reward was a direct factory contract.

The Briton is the only Honda rider with experience of other manufacturers and believes that his expectation can only be to win a race when he can - and he defends the RC213V even though it looks like a hard thing to ride.

“I think it is a very, very good bike and very competitive and engineers work really, really hard in HRC. But I think it’s difficult to ride the Honda. It’s quite sensitive and I believe if I can help build a bike everybody can ride, it’s a lot better,” said Crutchlow.

“Sometimes I’m not always the fastest guy and I don’t always get the best result but I seem to understand the bike very well. If I go testing I can do five laps with one piece of material and normally understand and straight away, where it may take another guy all day to do the same thing.

“We have to remember that all the four Honda riders at the moment have only ever ridden a Honda. Dani and Marc are very, very fast and very good at testing the items as well. But they are also looking for their own result and way. Normally if I find something that works, it works for everyone. Where I think when they find something that works, it works very specific to them.”

“I think the expectation is to win when I can. I know for sure there is more pressure on Marc and Dani to win than me. But I think the pressure that HRC would put me to win is probably about the same amount that I put on myself so I will try my best and always do my 100 per cent on Sunday.”