Back to the past: Cal Crutchlow back with LCR Honda, officially replacing Zarco

Thursday, 28 May 2026 at 10:19

Cal Crutchlow returns to MotoGP for the first time since 2023, lined up by LCR Honda to replace the injured Zarco.

Look who’s back—guess who’s returning to MotoGP! Cal Crutchlow rejoins the ranks of LCR Honda for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, called in to replace Johann Zarco. It’s unclear whether this will be a one-off choice for this event or until the Frenchman is back to full fitness—and unfortunately, that will take quite a while given the extent of the knee injury... He will undergo surgery in the coming weeks after the heavy crash at the Catalan GP; in the meantime, Lucio Cecchinello’s team needs someone else alongside rookie Diogo Moreira.

The choice fell on a “blast from the past” for the team—and not by chance, given the wins and the solid number of podiums they achieved together. Yesterday part of the squad wasn’t yet at Mugello, for a simple reason: they held a private test with Crutchlow at Misano (via motorsport.es) to assess his condition. After the test, today comes the official announcement that we’ll see the 2009 Supersport World Champion back in action for the first time since 2023, when he contested the Japanese GP as a Yamaha test rider with a wild card.

The LCR Honda statement

The Castrol Honda LCR Team announces that Johann Zarco will be replaced by former LCR rider Cal Crutchlow.

A return to where it all began, with memories from the past: the British rider joined the team in 2015 and raced with LCR until 2020. Over those six seasons, Crutchlow and the team collected 12 podiums, including three victories. His first win came at Brno in 2016, marking the first MotoGP victory in LCR’s history.

As Johann Zarco will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and continue his recovery path, Cal Crutchlow will replace him at the Italian Grand Prix.

LCR would like to thank Cal Crutchlow for his availability, commitment, and willingness to ride the Honda RC213V, a testament to the longstanding bond between the rider and the team and to the cherished memories they share.

Meanwhile, the Castrol Honda LCR Team expresses its full support to Johann Zarco during this difficult time, wishing him strength and a speedy recovery.