Best moments of Cal Crutchlow’s MotoGP career including his first win, podium and more

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Cal Crutchlow is a British motorsport hero who ended Great Britain’s 35-year wait for a win with his first victory in 2016, and here are the best moments of his MotoGP career.

Coventry, England-born Crutchlow competed permanently in the premier class from 2011 to 2020, after first moving to MotoGP with Tech3 after impressing them in the World Superbike Championship. Crutchlow also enjoyed a year at Ducati in 2014 before he joined LCR Honda.

Retiring from full-time racing at the end of 2020 did not mark the end of Crutchlow’s time in the MotoGP paddock. Petronas SRT, Yamaha and RNF Racing infrequently called Crutchlow up to race as a stand-in rider in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and he even returned for LCR in 2026.

Crutchlow became a huge fans’ favourite during his time as a full-time rider in MotoGP, with the Briton’s honesty and relentless grit endearing him to so many. Such is his character that Crutchlow also offered one of MotoGP’s most recognisable modern soundbites after he won the 2018 Argentine Grand Prix, when he famously snarled “Don’t doubt me!” in parc ferme.

So, with that in mind, MotoGP News has looked back at the best moments from Crutchlow’s career as a full-time rider in MotoGP – from his historic first Grand Prix win to his best races.

Where did Cal Crutchlow make his MotoGP debut? Who did he ride for?

Cal Crutchlow made his MotoGP debut riding for Tech3 aboard a satellite Yamaha YZR-M1 in the 2011 Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit. The Briton also finished P11 on debut to score five points in the 2011 season-opener, for which he had even qualified in P8.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Cal Crutchlow, from stats to net worth

Only 16 riders took part in the 2011 Qatar GP and only 13 of those took the chequered flag, with Hector Barbera of Aspar and Karel Abraham of Cardion AB Motoracing finishing behind Crutchlow – who was also 34.539 seconds behind the lead as Casey Stoner won for Honda.

Cal Crutchlow scored his first MotoGP Grand Prix win in the 2016 Czech GP at Brno

The 2016 Czech Grand Prix marked a moment in British motorsport history, as Cal Crutchlow won at Brno to become the first British rider to win a premier class race since Barry Sheene in 1981. It would mark the first of the four Grand Prix wins that Crutchlow had in his career.

It took Crutchlow six-and-a-half seasons and until his 98th Grand Prix start to score his first MotoGP victory at Brno. But what a win it was, as Crutchlow overcame fading from 10th on the grid to 15th to then fly through the order and beat Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi.

Crutchlow lost ground in the early laps of the 2016 Czech GP after deciding to start the wet race on hard front and rear tyres, having initially arrived on the grid with soft rain tyres. He went against the grain by using those Michelin tyres, yet it proved to be a genius decision.

Once Crutchlow got his hard tyres into the right operating windows, he became a man on a mission and even put a move on Rossi at Turn 8 with 16 laps to go – sneaking up the inside of the great Italian who had chosen to fit the soft front Michelin tyre on his factory Yamaha.

Works Honda rider Dani Pedrosa fell victim to Crutchlow’s charge with 15 laps to go, as well, as the Briton became the fastest man on the circuit. The tide just kept parting for Crutchlow to charge through the field, and Marquez had no reply as he took P4 on the run to Turn 13.

The improving track conditions did not halt Crutchlow’s rise on the hard rain tyres, either, as he ultimately took the lead of the 2016 Czech GP off works Ducati star Andrea Iannone with seven laps to play. Ultimately, Crutchlow won the 2016 Czech GP by 7.298s over Rossi in P2.

When and where did Cal Crutchlow score his first MotoGP pole position?

Through his time as a MotoGP rider, Cal Crutchlow scored pole position four times, with the first of those poles coming for the 2013 Dutch Grand Prix at the TT Circuit Assen with Tech3. Crutchlow also got pole at the 2013 Czech GP, the 2016 British GP and the 2018 Spanish GP.

Tech3 saw Crutchlow score his first MotoGP pole for the 2013 Dutch GP with a 1:34.398 lap of Assen on a satellite Yamaha YZR-M1. He beat factory Honda rider Marc Marquez to pole by 0.357s, while Valentino Rossi in P4 was 0.576s slower as the second-best Yamaha racer.

Crutchlow was even more dominant in qualifying when he scored pole position for the 2016 British Grand Prix at Silverstone while riding for LCR Honda. He set a 2:19.265 lap in the wet as the home hero humbled Rossi in P2 by 0.998s. But Suzuki racer Maverick Vinales denied Crutchlow what would have been an emotional home win in the 2016 British GP by 3.480s.

When and where did Cal Crutchlow reach a MotoGP podium for the first time?

Of the 19 career podiums that Cal Crutchlow accumulated over his MotoGP career, he made the walk to the rostrum for the first time after finishing the 2012 Czech Grand Prix at Brno in third place. Crutchlow joined 2012 Czech GP winner Dani Pedrosa of Honda and Yamaha ace Jorge Lorenzo on the podium, after finishing the race 12.343 seconds off the lead for Tech3.

What were the best MotoGP races of Cal Crutchlow’s career as a full-time rider?

Cal Crutchlow enjoyed several fruitful visits to Brno, and his victory in the 2016 Czech Grand Prix will arguably always make that his best race as a MotoGP rider. His run to P3 in the 2013 Czech GP from P2 on the grid and P2 in the 2016 British GP also merit honourable mentions.

But the race that can rival the 2016 Czech GP for being Crutchlow’s best MotoGP race was his victory in the 2018 Argentine Grand Prix at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo. He had only qualified P10 for the race, yet produced a fantastic ride to beat Johann Zarco by 0.251s.

The 2018 Argentine GP started in befuddling fashion when Pramac rider Jack Miller lined up all alone at the front of the grid, having been given a four-row head start after all of his rivals scuttled back to the pit lane to switch tyres after they initially decided to start on wet tyres.

Miller’s advantage did not help the Australian, however, as Crutchlow managed his tyres to perfection and kept enough life in the rubber to survive Zarco’s last-lap attack. Winning the 2018 Argentine GP even saw Crutchlow climb atop the early-season riders’ standings, and issue his famous “Don’t doubt me!” quip to the TV cameras upon his arrival in parc ferme.