Honda deny 2015 talks with Cal Crutchlow

Honda is not planning to launch a bid to save Cal Crutchlow from his Ducati nightmare.

Rumours started to emerge in Assen last weekend that Crutchlow was being considered as a replacement for Alvaro Bautista at Gresini Honda or Stefan Bradl at LCR Honda for 2015.

But HRC boss Livio Suppo, who admitted in Holland that Bautista and Bradl’s future remain in doubt because of some lacklustre performances in 2014, has denied that Crutchlow is being considered a serious option.

The British rider came close to joining LCR Honda a year ago, only for Bradl to save his seat when he grabbed pole position and a podium at the Laguna Seca round.

Crutchlow could be available should he decide to walkout halfway through a Ducati contract after enduring a torrid start to his Desmosedici career.

He has an option that expires at the end of this month to leave the Bologna factory.

The 28-year-old has scored only one top six finish all season and in Assen last weekend he finished in ninth on a track where in 2013 he’d claimed pole position and a rostrum.

It is common knowledge that he has been negotiating with Suzuki, but Suppo said HRC had not made contact with Crutchlow or his manager Bob Moore.

He told MCN: “We haven’t spoken about a move for Cal. Cal is an interesting rider but honestly the strange thing is to understand why he is struggling so much at Ducati. This is really surprising for me but at the moment there is nothing going on between Honda and Cal.”