Cal Crutchlow Set to Feature at Aragón GP as Awaits Medical Clearance for MotoGP Return
Cal Crutchlow will be on hand at the upcoming Aragón , standing by as a contingency while Johann Zarco awaits medical clearance to resume with LCR Honda.
Zarco suffered a severe knee injury during May’s Catalan GP, forcing Crutchlow to step in as his replacement since then. Encouragingly, Zarco’s recovery has progressed well enough to allow him back on the bike for testing, prompting plans for a potential comeback at Motorland Aragón this weekend.
LCR Honda recently confirmed Zarco’s intent to return, but he must first pass a medical evaluation to compete. Should he fail to receive the ‘fit to race’ verdict, Crutchlow will continue as the team’s fallback rider. Despite this gamble, Zarco’s original target was to make his return at Misano, the next round on the MotoGP calendar, meaning missing Aragón would not derail his long-term plans.
A team statement highlighted Zarco’s positive trajectory: “Johann has continued improving over recent weeks, allowing us to advance his return to competition.” They added, “Cal will be present in Aragón as a reserve plan, ready if needed.” Zarco also faces a challenge on track, as he must serve a double long-lap penalty due to his involvement in the first-corner incident at the Catalan GP alongside Pecco Bagnaia and Luca Marini.
Turning back to Silverstone, Crutchlow praised Raúl Fernández’s bold race strategy that defied the cautious tyre management approach dominating the field. “What you have to realize is that someone was willing to take risks. Someone stepped up and pushed, while others probably hesitated. Raúl showed more guts than anyone in those initial five laps, saying, ‘I’m good with the rear tyre, I’m going for it,’ whereas others expected him to fade after ten laps. But he didn’t,” Crutchlow remarked.
This aggressive tactic was underpinned by Aprilia’s standout tyre performance in Britain. Crutchlow noted, “The were the only ones without tyre issues all weekend. Everyone else was trying to manage theirs. Maybe Aprilia just wasn’t generating the same heat as other manufacturers and riders, for some reason.”
As the Aragón GP approaches, all eyes will be on Zarco’s medical assessment and Crutchlow’s role, while reflections on Silverstone’s daring strategies continue to shape conversations within paddocks.