Britain’s Cal Crutchlow took only small steps in his MotoGP debut for LCR Honda at Valencia but admitted he was as nervous today as he was when he rode the Tech3 Yamaha for the first time.

The Isle of Man resident believes the RC213V already suits his style as it needs to be ridden aggressively but is glad he now has a bike that turns and that has a very good connection from tyres to hands.

“Enjoyable. Riding a Honda is something I have wanted to do for a while. It’s hard work learning the settings of the bike, electronics, how the bike works, it’s completely different to what I have been used to. The team works in a great way,” said Crutchlow, speaking at Valencia.

“We did some small steps, nothing massive, mostly electronics to suit my riding style to start with and then I worked towards their setting. I did my best lap with 27 on the rear and the funny thing is I did the same laptime on an old tyre as I did with a new.

“We have to work on some things to get the best out of but I was impressed with the bike. The bike turns very well, there is no doubt about that, you can brake deep into the corner and still make it, as such. The other areas to work on are looking for rear grip, you have to search a lot more. The engine is strong and the electronics work really well.

“You can move a lot on the bike, it’s quite aggressive and likes to be ridden aggressively, which is good for my style. You have a lot of feeling from the bike in your hand, the connection is really good and you can really understand through your right hand.

“I can compare it to my first day on the Yamaha, which was my first day on a MotoGP bike and I was shitting myself. Today was pretty similar as it was my first day on a Honda and I was shitting myself.

“You have to change your riding style on the Honda. You are able to push more and you can get away with making a small mistake and make the corner. I believe the style I have adopted this year is beneficial.”

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