Jose Manuel Cazeaux, the technical manager of Alex Rins' GSX-RR, believes next year will be significantly better than 2017 after completing a favorable test at Jerez.
Evaluation and development of the 2018 Suzuki was due to begin at the Valencia test straight after the Grand Prix, but Rins and teammate Andrea Iannone suffered stomach problems which complicated matters.
Fortunately in Jerez everything went well, and Andrea Iannone completed these three days of testing in fourth position, 0.367 behind the leader Andrea Dovizioso, while Alex Rins placed sixth at 0.644. It was a clear comfort after a difficult year for Alex, penalized by injuries and a bike that could be improved. He ultimately only finished sixteenth after missing the Grands Prix of Texas, Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello and Barcelona. The end of the season was a thousand times better with fifth place in Motegi, then fourth in Valencia (and fourth in Japan for Andrea Iannone).
For Jose Manuel Cazeaux, “ I think that the choices that our two riders are making at the end of the year are more qualified than the ones they made last winter, when one rider was a rookie and injured, and the other came from a motorcycle a little different from this one. »
“For the 2018 GSX-RR, let’s say that, if we start from the bike of Maverick At the end of 2016, this year we made many adjustments based on this season's engine which was built to improve certain areas. »
“But during the season we found it was worse in other areas. On many tracks it was a problem and we struggled to be competitive. In any case, it was a positive year because with these difficulties we were able to improve certain details. »
“Now, with the basis of next year's engine that we are testing from Valencia, the bike is improving and it looks like we are going in the right direction. »
“Of course the 2017 engine didn’t help. It was even a little worse than before. Depending on the characteristics and grip levels of a circuit, this problem was greater or lesser. »
“I think that despite this engine, which was like a handicap in certain areas, we were able to finish the season well. »
“If you look at my team with Alex, he had a very bad start to his MotoGP career, starting with a painful injury in Valencia and then another painful injury in Austin. Since his return to the Barcelona test, the evolution has been slower but with constant progress. »
“Now he drives well. He knows that he is building a working method, that is very important. He understands that it's not just talent that counts in MotoGP. He builds his method, feels what is happening on the bike and transmits it to the team. »
“My feeling is we can keep this momentum going. I'm pretty happy. I believe he has a lot of talent for the future. If he continues like this, I expect him to enjoy next season. »
Photos © Suzuki
Source: crash.net
