More than once this year, Johann Zarco and Tech 3 have saved Yamaha in terms of results. This was the case in Jerez, Barcelona, Austria, Japan, Malaysia and Valencia. We can add the good second place of Jonas Folger in Germany, to total 7 placements of the satellite team in front of the official one. Tech 3 and Johann therefore had a lot to do with Yamaha's second place in the Manufacturers' World Championship, with 321 points against 310 for third place Ducati.
And yet Ducati was able to count on the precious contribution of Danilo Petrucci, three times in front of his officials Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo. The Pramac driver preceded them in Argentina, in Assen and Misano. At Honda, Cal Crutchlow has anticipated Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa in Argentina and at Silverstone.
The contribution of a satellite team can therefore be very useful, and not only for recycling motorcycles from previous seasons. This is also the view of Suzuki team manager Davide Brivio, who would happily use the skills of a second team.
“With more drivers on track, we could have collected a lot more information, does he think. This would have been beneficial for development. We all want a second team who can help us. »
The GSX-RR's disappointing performance in 2017 was caused by a poorly chosen engine. It was Andrea Iannone who approved it, even though he didn't know the Suzuki, and his teammate Alex Rins was injured. During the season, the contribution of Sylvain Guintoli as a test rider was highly appreciated by the MotoGP team.
Development will take on even more importance in 2018 as Suzuki will find the teams that did not reach the podium in 2017, that is to say having 9 engines instead of 7, and the possibility to develop them without limits. This was the case for KTM this year, which did not hesitate to make full use of this privilege.
The need for a second team capable of entering GSX-RRs is therefore more and more pressing. “ This discussion has been going on for some time at Suzuki, confides Brivio. I hope we can do it. We have this in mind. But it won't be easy for us, because we haven't gained experience with a satellite team. Even KTM has at least this experience in other categories. I really hope that one day we will equip a satellite team ».
This will require organizational efforts, creativity and imagination at Suzuki. Because providing a second team does not only consist of loading all the equipment into trucks at the end of the year to drop it off during the winter at the equivalent of Tech 3, LCR, Pramac, Marc VDS, Aspar or Avintia. It is indeed necessary to be able to provide everything necessary until the last lap of the last Grand Prix of the season to the chosen team, planning down to the last bolt and fairing.
And when a Marc Marquez like you who falls 27 times is part of your satellite team, how do you organize yourself to plan for the number of necessary spare parts?
Photo: Sylvain Guintoli during the Barcelona tests last June (© Suzuki)
Partial source: Speedweek. com
