MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow to join Honda after early Ducati exit

Briton Cal Crutchlow will move to LCR Honda in 2015 after his two-year Ducati contract was terminated a year early.

Crutchlow signed for the Italian team last August, and as recently as last month Ducati had said the 28-year-old would see out his two-year deal.

Honda will be Crutchlow's third different manufacturer in three years, having ridden for Yamaha Tech 3 before his switch to Ducati.

Italians Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone will ride for Ducati in 2015.

The British rider, 14th in this year's championship standings, spent three years with Yamaha and had four podium finishes for their satellite Tech 3 team in 2013 to secure a MotoGP factory ride for the first time, replacing 2006 world champion Nicky Hayden at Ducati.

A statement from Ducati read: "Ducati Corse announced today that it has reached an agreement with its factory rider Cal Crutchlow to terminate, ahead of time, the contract that ties the British rider to the Italian team in MotoGP for 2014 and also for next season."

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