Cal Crutchlow ended the 2011 MotoGP season with the best result of premier class career. Crutchlow took fourth place during the final race at Valencia and was given the 2011 MotoGP rookie of the year award.
The Yamaha Tech 3 rider started from 11th on the grid but was quickly able to move up the rankings when four riders went down before the end of lap one.
Crutchlow and fellow rookie of the year contender Karel Abraham battled for fourth with Dani Pedrosa. A heavy rain hit the track with a few laps left adding extra drama to the exciting battle behind the podium.
"That was a pretty dramatic way to finish the season and I am obviously thrilled to win the Rookie of the Year title," Edwards said. "But I'm equally happy to have finished in fourth place because that was an incredibly difficult race. I'm not sure what happened at the first corner but I came out of it in sixth place and just pushed as hard as I could.
"It was a really intense battle with Karel right to the end and both of us were giving it everything we had. The track was so greasy it felt like you could crash so easily and when the rain started getting heavier I just got my head down again and kept pushing.
"I started to catch Dani really fast and I wasn't sure if he had a problem or whether I was pushing too hard. I slowed down because of that and Karel caught me back up, so it came down to the last lap and he obviously made a small mistake.
"To finish the season with my best ever result is a great way to start planning for 2012. This year has been an incredible learning experience and we have a lot to work on for next season, but I feel confident I can make the step to the next level. I can hold my held up high and now I am looking forward to getting my first experience of the Yamaha 1000cc bike on Tuesday."
