Livio Suppo looked back on his first and at the same time his last season as team manager of the Suzuki factory, to make us regret even more the decision of the board of directors of this brand of a brutal withdrawal from MotoGP. The Italian believes that Suzuki was the strongest Japanese manufacturer at the time of throwing in the towel, notably mentioning its two successes in the last three races. Suppo highlights the effective relationship between the team's European technicians and Japanese design engineers as Suzuki's secret. He also mentions that the GSX-RR was competitive due to its configuration marked by an inline-four and a different aerodynamic approach.
Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant was in charge at Ducati, then at Honda in MotoGP, with titles up for grabs, but he mentions that what impressed him most in terms of synergy between European and Japanese skills was seen at Suzuki. In comments relayed by crash.net, we read thus: “ the key point for me is not that it is necessary to have engineers based in Europe… Suzuki's organization was good. On the track there were a lot of European guys. And the Japanese listened to what they said ».
« I think that was Suzuki's secret. Because, like it or not, when the Suzuki factory pulled out, I'm pretty sure they were the strongest Japanese manufacturer. In fact, we have won two of the last three races. So the inline engine layout, with less aerodynamics etc., was still able to fight for wins ". And he insists: “ Of course, Alex Rins is a very strong driver. But the bike was pretty good and I think the secret lay in the relationship between the team's European technicians and the design engineers in Japan ».
Livio Suppo: “ Suzuki's decision to withdraw was not a money-related decision »
Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant also shared information about the release of Suzuki of MotoGP, indicating that the exact reasons for this decision remain a mystery. Despite efforts to persuade Suzuki to stay, suppo and his team did not succeed in convincing them to continue the adventure which had been promised shortly before until 2026 and which ended with a pilot's title in 2020 with Joan mir. He stresses, however, that the decision to leave MotoGP was not linked to financial problems.
« We couldn't do anything... Myself, Sahara-san, Ken Kawauchi – we tried hard but we had no chance of convincing them to stay ", said suppo. " Even offering to cut the budget and try to make things a little cheaper, there was no way ". From this analysis a conviction is born: “ So, that means it wasn't a money decision. ».
Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant ends with this thought for a key man in this magnificent sacrificed project: “ I only worked with Sahara-san for a year, but I have a lot of respect for him. I know how much he suffered from this situation and what passion he had for racing. It's a shame that people like Sahara-san are no longer involved in MotoGP ».
