As the MotoGP™ grids heads to the Hertz British Grand Prix, many eyes will be on local rider Cal Crutchlow, as he sets out to make his mark at his home race.

Last year’s round was a weekend to forget for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider, as he broke his collarbone in qualifying and could not start the race. This season however has seen Crutchlow turn his fortunes around and made the GP paddock look twice with some already stunning performances in the new1000cc era.

Despite the Brit trying to play down his achievements so far, he cannot alter the fact that he has been re-writing the record books as far as performance by a British rider in the MotoGP class is concerned.

At Qatar he became the first British rider to score a top-four finish in the opening premier-class race of the season since Niall Mackenzie in 1988.

He qualified on the front row for the first time in MotoGP at the opening race in Qatar. This was the first front row start in the MotoGP class for a British rider since James Toseland qualified in second place on the grid on his GP debut in Qatar in 2008.

Having also finished fourth at the final race of 2011, he became the first British rider to score back-to-back top four finishes in the premier-class since Niall Mackenzie in 1989.

With his fourth place finish at the second race of the year at Jerez he achieved the longest sequence of top four premier-class finishes by a British rider since Ron Haslam was fourth in four successive races in 1984.

Crutchlow set the fastest lap of the MotoGP race at Jerez. This was the first time in 28 years that a British rider has set the fastest lap in a premier-class Grand Prix – since Barry Sheene on a Suzuki at the South African GP at Kyalami, which was the opening race of the 1984 season.

He has qualified in the top five places on the grid at the opening five races of the year. This is the best sequence of qualifying results by a British rider in the premier-class since Rob McElnea in 1986.

Cal Crutchlow has taken 56 points from the first five MotoGP races of the year. This is the best start to a season in the premier-class of Grand Prix racing for a British rider since Ron Haslam in the 1987 season.

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