Ken Kawauchi, Suzuki MotoGP Technical Director: “We tried new fairings and they presented some positives and negatives that will need to be analyzed.”
Davide Brivio, Team manager Suzuki MotoGP: “We tested the new fairing for the first time on track. We only did two sets of rounds with it, since the goal was to get a first impression and collect preliminary data to see if it really is effective. If that is the case, we will have a little time before Qatar to continue develop. It's certainly too early to say whether or not it's worth it. hardly use it in competition. You have to test it and analyze it deeply.”
From these statements from the two managers of the Suzuki MotoGP team, it appears that the fairing seen at Phillip Island is a first development version which, in accordance with the directions from Danny Aldridge, the Technical Director of MotoGP, could have been authorized to take the track, without necessarily having been subject to approval by the men from Hamamatsu.
They apparently prefer to take advantage of all the time available until the homologation deadline set for 17 p.m. on the Thursday of the Grand Prix in Qatar, to present the most accomplished version possible.
In fact, only two developments can be approved in 2017, in addition to the 2016 version of the fairing without its fins.
Technically, the Suzuki fairing uses the same principle as that of Yamaha, namely covering the fins to comply with the regulations. However, we will note several differences, starting obviously with the fact that Suzuki chose to work on the fork crown, unlike Yamaha which worked on the sides.
It should also be noted that the Yamaha elements are in keeping with the perfect spirit of the regulations, with rounding at all levels. At Suzuki, with sharper edges and slightly sharper edges, we feel more of a temporary solution, observing carefully the embossments created in the sides, a solution reminiscent of that used on golf balls, while offering the advantage of slightly channeling the internal flow.
It should also be noted that, during certain runs, Suzuki tried two elongated appendages surrounding the bubble.
Will this fairing be approved? Alone Danny Aldridge will decide, if at all Ken Kawauchi and Davide Brivio submit it to him.
Photo credit: Steve English
