At Suzuki, we are approaching this Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez with the feeling of a sixth stage of the calendar looking like a turning point in the championship. It was the last deadline at Portimao which dealt this situation, putting Alex Rins co-leader of the general classification tied on points with Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir up against the wall after being eliminated in the race by Jack Miller. The GSX-RR is doing well, it is consistent even if its first victory is a long time coming. But Jerez has never really been a track favorable to motorcycles coming from Hamamatsu…
Indeed, the last victory of a Suzuki on the site in Andalusia dates back to 2000 when Kenny Roberts Jr made his mark in the 500cc class. Otherwise, the brand's best result dates from the second position taken by alex rins in 2019. The latter is still riding the momentum of his crazy Portuguese comeback which took him from 23rd starting place to fourth under the checkered flag. The Spaniard is having his best campaign since he was in MotoGP marked by great consistency and already two podiums: “ I managed to turn around my weekend in Portugal and it was something really important to me he says. " I had a terrible day of qualifying, but I believed in my ability to get a good result in the race and I did. ". His objective this weekend is very clear: “ I have to keep my head down and put in another great performance this weekend in Jerez ».
Suzuki: “keep our two drivers in mind”
At Joan mir, the smile is a little more fixed. His clash with Jack Miller made him lose contact with his teammate now 23 points from his sixth position overall. His best ranking in MotoGP in Jerez is a fifth place taken in 2020 and last year. He assesses his situation thus: “ I was unlucky in Portugal, I had a bit of trouble with the bike and then I was taken out of the race by another rider. Looking on the bright side, I didn't get hurt. I had a good pace Friday and Saturday and I feel more confident with my GSX-RR with each race ". However, he acknowledges: “ Jerez is not always my best track, but I am determined to finish well to score more points ».
The team manager Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant ends by also giving his opinion on this Spanish Grand Prix: “ Jerez is a very narrow track. It's a classic in the calendar and we've just come here from Portugal. Joan didn't finish the race last weekend, but Alex took a big step forward, so we want to continue working to get the most out of the 2022 package and keep both drivers in the lead ».
