Pelumba Aprilia, Aleix Espargaro telah menerima hadiah berupa jentera Suzuki GSX-RR 2016 daripada Suzuki.
GSX-RR 2016 itu merupakan jentera Suzuki yang ditunggang Espargaro ketika pengeluar motosikal Jepun itu membuat penampilaan semula di MotoGP pada tahun 2015. Suzuki juga merupakan pasukan pertama Espargaro dalam membuat aksi sulung di kelas premier MotoGP.
Pada waktu itu, Espargaro dan Maverick Vinales merupakan pelumba utama pasukan Suzuki sebelum beralih Aprilia dan Yamaha dua tahun selepas itu. Vinales juga sempat menghadiahkan kemenangan pertama jentera GSX-RR di kelas MotoGP.
Menurut Suzuki, GSX-RR itu sebelum ini telah diletakkan di ibu pejabat lama di Milan.
Dalam pada itu, Espargaro meluahkan rasa teruja dengan hadiah tersebut.
“Ini antara hadiah yang membuatkan saya berasa sangat teruja. Saya hampir mengeluarkan air mata. Ada yang kata menerima hadiah berupa jentera MotoGP adalah sesuatu yang mustahil tetapi saya mempunyai hubungan yang baik dengan mereka meskipun setelah berhijrah ke Aprilia,” jelas Espargaro.
Suzuki tidak lagi berada di MotoGP selepas membuat kejutan meninggalkan kejuaraan itu pada hujung musim lalu. Vinales juga telah dipersatukan semula dengan Espargaro di Aprilia sejak penghujung 2021.
Suzuki bids farewell to its motorsport programme after confirming it will exit the MotoGP and the Endurance World Championship at the end of the 2022 season.
Guintoli received a unique Suzuki Hayabusa for his effort in developing the GSX-RR.
The one-of-a-kind Hayabusa features red, black and blue livery inspired by the team SERT EWC GSX-R.
While it may come as a surprise for fans of the brand, the shutting down of its race department has more significant implications for team personnel – from riders to mechanics – who will face unemployment in a few months.
Also affected by the abrupt shutdown is Suzuki’s MotoGP development rider and EWC Champion, Sylvain Guintoli.
The ex-MotoGP, WorldSBK and BSB rider will now be out of a job despite representing the brand at the highest level, developing the GSX-RR and winning with EWC with team Yoshimura SERT.
To honour his contribution for all the years at Suzuki, the Hamamatsu factory has gifted Guintoli a special Hayabusa donned in the Yoshimura SERT Motul team livery.
The special Hayabusa features a red, blue and black livery inspired by Guintoli’s GSX-R race bike at the EWC.
While Suzuki won the 2020 MotoGP world title with Joan Mir, Guintoli is considered the backbone behind the Japanese firm’s shock run to the world championship.
His experience and input in developing the GSX-RR are often credited as the primary factor in the brand’s return to MotoGP royalty.
Team Suzuki Ecstar has launched the 2019 Suzuki GSX-RR for the MotoGP 2019 season.
The riders are three-year Suzuki veteran Alex Rins and rookie Joan Mir.
The 2019 GSX-RR is improved in a number of key areas without being completely new.
Team Suzuki Ecstar has launched the 2019 Suzuki GSX-RR for the MotoGP 2019 season.
Unlike other teams, Suzuki chose to unveil their bikes through a video on YouTube, instead of a “live” launch event. The team unveiled their all-Spanish rider line-up last season. Three-year factory veteran Alex Rins is joined by newcomer Joan Mir. The latter replaces Andrea Iannone who left for Aprilia. Sylvain Guintoli continues his role as test rider for Suzuki.
Alex Rins #42
Alex Rins finished in second place in the last three rounds of 2018 and hopes to move up to the front step in 2019. Suzuki last won a race with Maverik Vinalez in 2016.
“After the last test in November I left clear feedback for the engineers to work on, as far as I know the improvements we will try in Sepang will not be drastic but many small improvements in many areas, which is totally the Suzuki philosophy. We know what we were missing on the bike, so I believe the R&D in Japan will deliver a package which will help us to improve further,” said Rins.
Joan Mir #36
Joan Mir made his first Moto3 appearance in 2015 to replace the injured Hiroki Ono. He crashed out after making contact with John McPhee. Mir came back as a full rider in 2016 and finished 5thoverall. In 2017, he dominated the series with 10 wins and a 91 point advantage over his closest rival. Pundits felt that he could be the next Valentino Rossi or Marc Marquez.
He moved to the EG 0,0 Marc VDS team in Moto2 in 2018 where he captured 4 podiums and finished the season in 6th.
“Of course I still need many more hours on the bike, there are so many things I still need to understand to be even more effective, but I feel very supported by the team and I will rely on their wealth of experience to improve, and also to contribute my own improvements to my bike,” he said.
2019 Suzuki GSX-RR
The 2019 bike follows the basic shape of the 2018 model with some visible but small modifications.
2019 Suzuki GSX-RR
Fatter tail section.
Different front brake calipers.
New wheels.
The front suspension also appears to be different.
The footpegs are placed higher.
New graphics with bolder yellow and gray stripes on the upper fairing, extending to the fuel tank.
The news bikes are shown in their “raw” form before being modified later to each rider’s individual preference.
2018 Suzuki GSX-RR
Those are differences we could see, but the team’s Technical Manager Ken Kawauchi said that the factory has developed a new engine, chassis, besides improvements in the electronics and fairing. He also added that Suzuki’s approach to the MotoGP project is by taking step-by-step improvements rather than redesigning something completely new all the time.
That last statement proves how important it is for the riders to start off their new season with something familiar yet improved, instead of riding something which completely alien to them. It helps the rider to familiarize himself to the bike quicker and hopefully translate to great results from the beginning.
After making its highly anticipated debut during EICMA 2015 last month, the new sixth generation Suzuki GSX-R 1000 superbike looks set to become a force to be reckon with. (more…)
