Cal Crutchlow has described HRC’s offer to extend his factory contract by one more year and feels this could well be his last MotoGP deal before retirement. But “that can change,”✅ he conceded.

The Englishman said he began talks with Honda regarding the possibility of extending his current deal – which was due to expire at the close of 2019, leaving him ouꦺt of sync with the major🐬ity of the MotoGP grid – as early as the close of last season.

The fact the 32-year old, who sits eighth in the MotoGP s༒tandings, is as competitive as he has ever been in the premier class, coupled with his continued enjoyment of racing, and working in his existing structure, ꦫwas enough to convince him to extend his stay.

“I already had one year so I only extended tꦜhe one year,” he said on Friday after posting the second fastest free practice time of the day. “Was there much thought about it? No, not really because the deal put in front of me was an unbelievable one.

“I was very luck that we had basically said I would extend my contract when I was leading the championship earlier in the year. We just waited until now to announce it. We let everybody get over thꦛe fact that Jorge [Lorenzo] will get over riding the Honda next year and then announce.

“I thought it was the right time to do it. We didn’t do it earlier in the year because you lot didn’t need to know that it had been done. To me it was set in stone for many mon🌠ths. I discussed with Alberto [Puig] and [Yoshishige] Nomura [HRC President] from Qatar onwards. I discussed at the end of last year and we got the deal done in the months after.

“I was very, very happy with the deal꧑ put in front of me. Probablওy very close to my best deal in MotoGP, even though I’m on a superb deal now as well. They played the perfect card because I chose to stay here as well and I said I was happy to stay in LCR.

“Then they’ve got three strong riders for next year because they’ve managed to get two riders in the factory teܫam and🍨 then me here. Those are three cards to play rather than two.”

Was the deal ‘unbelievable’ in a financial sense or a factory-support sense? “Both,” came the reply. “Financially I’m by far the highest pᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚaid satellite rider anyway, because I’m a factory rider. But the deal that was put on the table was not just the reason why I wanted to stay.

“I wanted to stay with Honda first and foremost. I’ve got a great relationship with Nomura, with Takeo [Yokoyama, HRC technical director], with [Tetsuhiro] Kuwata [HRC Director], with my team. Lucio [Cecchiello, LCR Honda team owner] was obv𓆏iously only happy to keep me.

“The deal was good and beneficial and I don’t think I’m slowing down as a rider. That was one of the main things for me. I could have quite easily stopped – I can go🧔ꦿ home and not have to worry every again in my life.

“But I feel I’m still fast. I want to continue. If you go from being top five to being top twelve and then twelfth to 15^th then it’s time to retire. But essentially I’m going faster than any other year. I feel good and now I have to continue🤪 to be fast for two more years ꦚas well.”

On whether th🌱e new deal means he will recei♛ve the exact same equipment as championship leader Marc Marquez, Crutchlow countered, “I get them [the same parts] anyway. It’s just at the time there aren’t enough of them.”

This, of course, was a reference to Honda's carbon swingarm, which Marquez firಌst tested at Valencia ไlast November, and Crutchlow has yet to receive.

“I can’t tell you direct,” he said of exact bike specs for the coming two years. “But they’re happy with me. I’m happy with them. If I wasn’t happy with the situation I wouldn’t have signed another agreement. I can take that. Don’t forget you🔜 also haven’t seen one [carbon swingarm] on another bike for many, many ♕races.

“I know that if the parts are available we will get them. They support me 100 percent. I never go without anything. They never turn around and say, ‘this is not for you.’ If there’s one of them, Marc’s🐽 going to get 🌊them. You’re going to give it to the fastest guy and the guy who’s leading championship.”

On several occasions in the past, Crutchlow has stated he c♚ould not see himself racing i🐎nto his late 30s, in the same manner Valentino Rossi does. And he feels this deal, which runs to the end of 2020 may well be his last in the MotoGP class.

“I’m sure that you will all jump on th꧑e headline and quote and twist it because that’s what the media does,” he said, “but I’m quite positive this will be my last contract. Just because. I don’t want to race forever. Again that can𝐆 change like anything can change. I also said that about my last contract. I said it could be my last contract.

“That’s not me saying if I win I’ll continue, or I’ll stop if I’m last. Things can change. I want to take my daughter to school and stuff like that. I don’t need to do itꦉ any more. That’s sure. I have so many other things going on with investments and things like that.

“Life would be easy if I stopped. But I still ♔love what I do. And that’s why I say if I’m not loving it, or I’m not motivated then I won’t bother doing it.”