At the start of the season to the credit of European manufacturers, Suzuki is the brand that saves the honor of a Japan said to be of the rising sun but of the setting sun. Alex Rins spearheads Hamamatsu's title in the title race after four races, but his teammate and 2020 World Champion Joan Mir is not far behind. He could even catch up this weekend on a Portimao track where he has been more successful than his neighbor so far…
Suzuki will be chasing important points during this Portuguese Grand Prix, fifth round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship. alex rins et Joan mir, after the excellent indications of Austin, weekend which ended with a second and fourth place, will want to confirm themselves in the first positions of the classification, with the aim of closing, as far as possible, the gap with the current leader of the general classification of the championship, Enea Bastianini, winner of two races at the start of the championship. To do this, they will have to make the most of the characteristics of their respective GSX-RR, favorable, on paper, to the hazards of the Algarve circuit.
Before MotoGP, alex rins has raced once in a Portuguese Grand Prix, in Moto3 in 2012 and that was at Estoril, his third race, where he finished seventh. At the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, he qualified 10th as the first Suzuki, but finished 15th after making a poor tire choice. In the 2021 edition, he qualified in second position, equaling his best result in the exercise in MotoGP after Valencia 2018 and Europe 2020. He was second behind fabio quartararo when he crashed at turn 5 with seven laps remaining. At the 2021 Algarve Grand Prix he qualified 11th, dropped to 13th but finished eighth for his best result at Portimão.
In Portugal, Suzuki will once again defend the honor of Japan
« After my podium in Texas and a good start to the season, I really feel ready for Portugal this weekend » says Kidneys. " Our bike is strong and this track has a bit of everything and some corners are really fast and exciting. In the past, I have obtained non-positive results on this track and therefore I want to reverse the trend, confirm as best as possible what I did in this first part of the season ».
For its part, Joan mir had raced once in Portimão, in 2015 in CEV Moto3. He won the race after qualifying on pole. In 2020 he qualified 20th matching his worst qualification in MotoGP in Italy in 2019. He collided with bagnaia and zarco at the start of the race before having problems with the electronics and giving up. At the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix, he qualified in ninth position after coming through Q1. He ultimately finished third for his first podium of this season. At the 2021 Algarve Grand Prix, he qualified in third position, his best qualifying result in the premier class before finishing second, equaling his best result of the season with Styria.
« Portimao brings back good memories, because I finished both races here on the podium last year " remember Mir. “ It is a complex but enjoyable circuit, as well as a challenge for bikes and riders. Everyone is very competitive this season, so I'm expecting a tough race and a lot of excitement for the fans. Let’s hope for a nice roller coaster ride! ».
The team manager Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant finished : “We are entering the European part of the season and that means that we are preparing to face a series of intense and crucial races. We are satisfied with the performances we showed in this first part of the season. The circuits have very different characteristics, but despite this, our drivers managed to regularly fight for the top places in the standings. Portimao is a physical circuit with a lot to think about and we can't wait to get out on track. I believe Alex and Joan will be able to play a leading role.”
