Suzuki MotoGP explained

Short Name:Suzuki MotoGP
Last Season:2022
Long Name:Team Suzuki Ecstar
Base:Hamamatsu, Japan
Cambiago, Milan, Italy
Homepage:https://www.suzuki-motogp.com/
Teams Champ:1

Suzuki MotoGP was the factory-backed team of Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki in the MotoGP World Championship, most recently using the name Team Suzuki Ecstar for sponsorship purposes. Suzuki withdrew from MotoGP competition at the conclusion of the 2022 season, winning their final race with Álex Rins.[1]

History

1970s

In 1971, Grand Prix racer Jack Findlay and his business partner Daniele Fontana constructed a racing motorcycle using a Suzuki T series engine with a chassis of their own design.[2] Findlay rode the motorcycle to victory in the 1971 Ulster Grand Prix marking the first victory for a Suzuki motorcycle in the premier 500cc class, as well as the first-ever 500cc class victory for a motorcycle powered by a two stroke engine.[2] [3]

Suzuki first entered a works team in the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship in with riders Barry Sheene and Findlay riding the Suzuki RG500.[4] The motorcycle was designed by Makoto Hase using the proven square-four, two stroke engine architecture that Suzuki had developed during their successful Grand Prix racing program in the 1960s. The RG 500 was proven successful in its first race at the 1974 500cc French Grand Prix when, Barry Sheene finished in second place behind the defending world champion, Phil Read. The team's first victory came in, a pole-to-finish win by Barry Sheene at the Dutch TT. Sheene finished the season 6th overall with two wins.

Having developed the RG500, Suzuki ceded direct control of their Grand Prix racing program to their British importer, Suzuki GB in 1976 so that, they could concentrate on developing they first four stroke motorcycle, the Suzuki GS series. Barry Sheene won the riders' championship in with a total of five wins.[4] Sheene's second 500cc riders' championship came in with six wins. Teammate Steve Parrish was fifth.

In with two wins on the new Suzuki RGA, Sheene finished second in the championship behind Yamaha rider Kenny Roberts. Teammate Wil Hartog was fourth overall, also won two races. The championship was again won by Roberts with Virginio Ferrari finishing second, Barry Sheene third and Wil Hartog fourth, all riding the new Suzuki RGB.[4]

1980s

Randy Mamola and Graeme Crosby joined Suzuki in . While Yamaha rider Roberts won his third title, Suzuki riders Mamola was second, and Marco Lucchinelli third. Lucchinelli became the 500cc World Champion in riding the new Suzuki RG 500 gamma for the Roberto Gallina racing team.[5]

Lucchinelli left Suzuki to join Honda in . He was replaced on the Gallina team by Franco Uncini who went on to win the World Championship with five wins. Uncini was severely injured at the Dutch TT at Assen in and was unable to defend his title. Suzuki withdrew factory support at the end of the season.[5]

After three years away Suzuki returned in with factory supported entries. While not a full-time return, riders Takumi Itoh and Kevin Schwantz had some good results aboard the new Suzuki RGV500. Suzuki made a full return to racing in with Schwantz finishing 8th overall with two wins whilst teammate Rob McElnea finished the season in 10th place.[5] With a total of six wins, Schwantz was ranked fourth for the season.[5]

1990s

In Schwantz was second overall with five wins while teammate Niall Mackenzie was 4th.[6] Another five wins ranked Schwantz third overall in . Doug Chandler became Schwantz's teammate for during which Schwantz enjoyed one win to finish the season fourth followed by Chandler's fifth place overall.

Schwantz won his long-awaited first World Championship in with four race wins. His new teammate Alex Barros also scored a win and finished 6th overall.[6]

In, Schwantz was 4th overall with two wins whilst Barros was 8th.[6] Early in the season, Schwantz decided to retire from motorcycle competition. The other Suzuki rider Daryl Beattie finished the season second with two race wins.[6]

Scott Russell joined Beattie in . Russell finished the season 6th while Beattie suffered serious injuries pre-season and did not have his previous form. He finished 18th.[6] Beattie was joined by Anthony Gobert in . Beattie finished the season 11th and Gobert 15th. A fifth-place finish by Beattie was the team's best result that season.

Suzuki entered an all Japanese riders lineup in with Nobuatsu Aoki and Katsuaki Fujiwara. Fujiwara however was injured during pre-season tests and Aoki contested the world championship alone. He finished 9th for the season with a best result of 4th place. New rider Kenny Roberts Jr. joined Aoki in . Roberts Jr. took Suzuki's first win in the four years since 1995. His four wins gave him second place in the championship. Aoki was 13th.[6]

2000s

Roberts became World Champion in with a total of four victories,[7] Aoki was 10th overall.[6]

In 2001 Sete Gibernau joined Roberts riding the Suzuki RGV500. Gibernau finished ninth overall and Roberts 11th.[8]

In, the debut year of the new MotoGP class, Roberts and Gibernau rode the new Suzuki GSV-R four-stroke motorcycle. The team's best result was a 3rd-place podium finish by Roberts at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Overall, Roberts finished 9th and Gibernau 16th.[8]

John Hopkins joined Roberts in . Hopkins came seventh at the Spanish Grand Prix. However, Roberts missed three races due to a crash in the Italian Grand Prix and finished the season 19th two places behind Hopkins in 17th place.[8] The rider line-up remained the same for while Bridgestone replaced Michelin as the team's tyre supplier.[9] Hopkins finished the season 16th with Roberts Jr. again two places behind in 18th.[8]

Once again the rider line-up remained the same for, while Englishman Paul Denning became the new team manager taking over the position of Garry Taylor.[10] Roberts took a second place podium-finish in the wet British Grand Prix but finished the season 13th. Hopkins finished 14th for the season.

Chris Vermeulen joined Hopkins in .[11] Hopkins finished the season 10th while Vermeulen finished 11th with a 2nd place podium-finish at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix.

Both riders stayed with the team in and raced the new 800cc Suzuki GSV-R. Vermeulen took Suzuki's first win since the advent of four-stroke regulations and finished the season 6th overall. Hopkins finished 4th with four podium finishes.

For 2008, Chris Vermeulen was joined by Loris Capirossi as the rider lineup and the same lineup remained in 2009.

2010s

For the 2010 season Álvaro Bautista joined the team.

For the 2011 season, the team fielded only one GSV-R for Bautista with no replacement for Loris Capirossi, who moved to the Pramac Racing team. At the end of 2011, Suzuki pulled out of MotoGP citing the need to reduce costs amid the global economic downturn.[12]

In June 2013, Suzuki announced that they would return to MotoGP with a factory team in 2015.[13] On 30 September 2014, Suzuki confirmed that it would participate in MotoGP from 2015, with Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales as their two riders. They raced a newly developed MotoGP machine, the GSX-RR, with a restructured team organisation led by Davide Brivio.[14]

2020s

In 2020, Suzuki secured the team's title for the first time, while rider Joan Mir secured the rider's title, becoming the first Suzuki rider to do so since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000.

On 12 May 2022, Suzuki announced they were "...in discussions with Dorna regarding the possibility of ending its participation in MotoGP at the end of 2022".[15] Suzuki were reported to have contractual obligations to participate until 2026.[16] Suzuki won two of their final three races in Australia and Valencia.[17]

MotoGP results

By rider

YearClassTeam nameBikeRidersRacesWinsPodiumsPolesF. lapsPointsPos.
2022MotoGPTeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR Joan Mir1600008715th
Álex Rins1924001737th
Kazuki Watanabe10000031st
Takuya Tsuda100000NC
Danilo Petrucci100000NC

By year

(key)

YearTeamMotorcycleTyresNo.Riders123456789101112131415161718PointsPointsPoints
Telefónica Movistar SuzukiSuzuki GSV-RJPNSAFSPAFRAITACATNEDGBRGERCZEPORRIOPACMALAUSVAL
15 Sete GibernauRet16912RetRetRet6Ret4Ret8Ret1412135116th1504th1433rd
10RetRet85Ret76141143689Ret999th
51Ret0NC
Team Suzuki Test33 Akira Ryō21115131114114118thcolspan=2
Suzuki Grand Prix TeamSuzuki GSV-RJPNSAFSPAFRAITACATNEDGBRGERCZEPORRIOPACMALAUSVAL
21 John Hopkins13137RetRet151511Ret1718DNSRet12132917th5510th435th
10 Kenny Roberts Jr.14151316Ret1520171715149112219th
71 Yukio KagayamaRet12425th
43 Akira Ryō200 (6)24th
Team Suzuki Test43 Akira Ryō10624thcolspan=2
Team Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki GSV-RSAFSPAFRAITACATNEDRIOGERGBRCZEPORJPNQATMALAUSVAL
21 John Hopkins1315RetRet141598Ret6Ret8Ret15124516th899th735th
10 Kenny Roberts Jr.Ret812Ret171678171014Ret3718th
32 Gregorio Lavilla16170NC
71 Yukio Kagayama1114723rd
Team Suzuki Test32 Gregorio LavillaRetRet0NCcolspan=2
Team Suzuki MotoGPRed Bull Suzuki (Rd. 8)Suzuki GSV-RSPAPORCHNFRAITACATNEDUSAGBRGERCZEJPNMALQATAUSTURVAL
21 John Hopkins14Ret71611Ret14811Ret1459171015136314th1268th1005th
10 Kenny Roberts Jr.Ret12Ret13151516142111187116313th
9 Nobuatsu Aoki16Ret0NC
Rizla Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki GSV-RSPAQATTURCHNFRAITACATNEDGBRGERUSACZEMALAUSJPNPORVAL
21 John Hopkins9Ret174151046810676121261111610th2145th1514th
71 Chris Vermeulen12Ret7Ret1014610167512112119Ret9811th
Team Suzuki Test6413321stcolspan=2
Rizla Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki GSV-RQATSPATURCHNFRAITACATGBRNEDGERUSACZESMRPORJPNAUSMALVAL
21 John Hopkins4196375455715236107831894th3683rd2414th
71 Chris Vermeulen791171873161125213118761796th
Team Suzuki Test64 Kousuke Akiyoshi17Ret0NCrowspan="2" colspan=2
9 Nobuatsu Aoki13325th
Rizla Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki GSV-RQATSPAPORCHNFRAITACATGBRNEDGERUSACZESMRINDJPNAUSMALVAL
7 Chris Vermeulen17108Ret51078733659Ret159131288th2485th1814th
65 Loris Capirossi859977RetWD71537166107911810th
11 Ben Spies142 (20)19th
Team Suzuki Test11 Ben Spies8618 (20)19thcolspan=2 rowspan=3
64 Kousuke AkiyoshiRet0NC
9 Nobuatsu Aoki170NC
Rizla Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki GSV-RQATJPNSPAFRAITACATNEDUSAGERGBRCZEINDSMRPORAUSMALVAL
7 Chris Vermeulen710106101158131311119101161510612th2166th1334th
65 Loris CapirossiRet768559Ret1111575Ret129141109th
Rizla Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki GSV-RQATSPAFRAITAGBRNEDCATGERUSACZEINDSMRARAJPNMALAUSPORVAL
19 Álvaro BautistaRet10DNS1412145RetRetRet88875121198513th1296th1086th
65 Loris Capirossi9RetRet10Ret1371110Ret11RetRetRetDNS13Ret4416th
Rizla Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki GSV-RQATSPAPORFRACATGBRNEDITAGERUSACZEINDSMRARAJPNAUSMALVAL
19 Álvaro BautistaDNS131212511137RetRet686RetRetCRet6713th738th734th
21 John Hopkins10DNSC621st
YearTeamMotorcycleTyresNo.Riders1234567891011121314151617181920PointsPointsPoints
Team Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki GSX-RRQATAMEARGSPAFRAITACATNEDGERINDCZEGBRSMRARAJPNAUSMALVAL
14Ret0NC0NC0NC
Team Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RRQATAMEARGSPAFRAITAESPNEDGERUSACZEGBRSMRARAJPNAUSMALVAL
251491011976101111Ret111411Ret68119712th2025th1374th
4111877RetRetRet91014991061197810511th
Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki GSX-RRQATARGAMESPAFRAITACATNEDGERAUTCZEGBRRSMARAJPNAUSMALVAL
25 Maverick Viñales6Ret463649126915433652024th2954th2084th
41 Aleix Espargaró11115569RetRet14RetRet7Ret74Ret1389311th
Team Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RRQATARGAMESPAFRAITACATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSMARAJPNAUSMALVAL
29 Andrea IannoneRet167Ret1010169Ret1911RetRet12461767013th1306th1004th
42 Álex Rins9RetDNS17211116981758DSQ45916th
12 Takuya Tsuda170NC
50 Sylvain Guintoli151717127th
Team Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RRQATARGAMESPAFRAITACATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSMARATHAJPNAUSMALVAL
29 Andrea Iannone9833Ret41011121013C8311Ret2RetRet13310th3024th2334th
42 Álex RinsRet3RetRet105Ret2Ret118C44635221695th
50 Sylvain GuintoliRet19210NCcolspan="2"
Team Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RRQATARGAMESPAFRAITACATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSMARATHAJPNAUSMALVAL
36 Joan Mir8Ret17Ret1612687Ret8147851079212th301 (304)5th2344th
42 Álex Rins45121044RetRet461Ret9579552054th
50 Sylvain Guintoli13201220725th
Team Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RRSPAANCCZEAUTSTYRSMEMICATFRAARATEREURVALPOR
36 Joan MirRet5Ret24322113317Ret1711st3101st2023rd
42 Álex RinsDNS104Ret65123NC1224151393rd
Team Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RRQATDOHPORSPAFRAITACATGERNEDSTYAUTGBRARARSMAMEEMIALRVAL
36 Joan Mir4735Ret3493249 3 6 8Ret252083rd3073rd2403rd
42 Álex Rins64Ret20RetRet1111714 2 11Ret468Ret9913th
Team Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RRQATINAARGAMEPORSPAFRAITACATGERNEDGBRAUTRSMARAJPNTHAAUSMALVAL
920030th2606th1995th
36 Joan Mir6644Ret6 RetRet4Ret8Ret Ret DNS181968715th
42 Álex Rins7532419RetRetRetDNS107879Ret121511737th
85Ret 0NC
9221031st

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Duncan . Lewis . 2022-11-06 . Rins was ‘crying on the grid’ before taking Suzuki’s farewell MotoGP win . 2022-11-08 . Motorsport.com . en.
  2. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1553493/Jack-Findlay.html Jack Findlay obituary - The Telegraph
  3. Web site: MotoGP Milestones . crash.net . 30 March 2017.
  4. Web site: Suzuki Motorcycle History: Racing History 1970s. Global Suzuki. 6 May 2012.
  5. Web site: Suzuki Motorcycle History: Racing History 1980s. Global Suzuki. 6 May 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120207105428/http://www.globalsuzuki.com/motorcycle/history/racing/race_wgp_1980.html. 7 February 2012.
  6. Web site: Suzuki Motorcycle History: Racing History 1990s. Global Suzuki. 6 May 2012.
  7. Web site: 6 May 2012. Kenny Roberts Jr, Biography and Information. highrevs.net.
  8. Web site: Suzuki Motorcycle History: Racing History 2000s. Global Suzuki. 6 May 2012.
  9. Web site: Suzuki MotoGP Team Makes Choice Of Bridgestone Tires Official. 6 May 2012. Road Racing World. 17 November 2003.
  10. News: Paul Denning, Suzuki Team Manager. 6 August 2005. 30 September 2014. MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports.
  11. Web site: Roadracing World. 6 May 2012. Vermeulen Signs Two-year Deal With Suzuki MotoGP Team. October 28, 2005.
  12. News: 18 November 2011 . Suzuki to suspend MotoGP operation due to 'tough circumstances' . . . . 31 December 2015.
  13. News: Ramsey . Jonathon . 18 June 2013 . Suzuki back in MotoGP for 2015 . Autoblog . . 31 December 2015.
  14. News: Suzuki return to MotoGP™ with Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales in 2015. 30 September 2014. 30 September 2014. MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports.
  15. Web site: SUZUKI ANNOUNCEMENT . 2022-05-12 . www.suzuki-racing.com . en.
  16. https://the-race.com/motogp/dorna-contacts-suzuki-to-remind-it-of-contract-conditions/ Dorna contacts Suzuki to remind it of contract conditions
  17. Web site: Duncan . Lewis . 2022-10-16 . MotoGP Australian GP: Rins wins last-lap thriller, Quartararo crashes out . 2022-11-08 . www.autosport.com . en.