Livio Suppo is making his mark at Suzuki as sporting director and the circumstances currently favorable to the Hamamatsu brand in MotoGP give him the necessary serenity to do so. After all, Alex Rins is second in the championship and Joan Mir fourth, even though victory is awaited after the first four rounds. But on his job description, it is mentioned that the former Ducati and Honda must also think about the future. Could this finally be the opportunity to have a satellite team? Nope. In Moto2 on the other hand…
This is called taking the opposite view. To the question asked about Motorsport-total à Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant as to when, finally, Suzuki will field more than two GSX-RRs, the Italian first despairs the fans of the brand: “ we know that a Suzuki satellite team has been expected in the paddock for several years. But we still have a lot to do before you can think about it he says. " For many years, the ideal situation for Carmelo Ezpeleta was for the six manufacturers to equip four drivers each. Obviously you need six brands ready to race these bikes ».
« Motorcycles must also be competitive » he adds. “ It would be very difficult to ask a satellite team to run a non-competitive bike. Today, we are increasingly in a technical situation where this would be possible. First of all, we have to be happy to have 24 bikes on the grid and that they are all more or less competitive. Even a bike from last year is competitive. In my opinion, it's better for a beginner when the bike is already ready. The top speed of the Ducati is obviously very strong. The pilots are worried. If you have a problem in qualifying and you start behind, it's very difficult for the drivers. However, having eight Ducatis is better than many uncompetitive bikes ».
Suzuki in Moto2? But for what outlet in MotoGP without a satellite structure?
So much for the principles and it is clear that, at Suzuki, we observe this situation more than we nourish the ambition to improve it. So nothing will ever change under the Hamamatsu coat of arms? think again Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant immediately attracts attention when talking about Moto2… “ A Moto2 team supported by Suzuki? It would be very interesting » says the team manager. “ I think KTM has done a very good job in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP in recent years. It would be very interesting if the riders were trained at least in Moto2 ". He specifies : " Moto3 would be difficult for us ».
It will be remembered that more and more teams have their presence in the lower categories. It was first KTM with Red Bull Ajo, one of the best teams in Moto3 and Moto2, World Champion in 2021 with Pedro Acosta and Remy Gardner. Honda also operates thanks to Honda Team Asia which bets on Asian drivers to strengthen the market in this part of the world. Since this year, Yamaha also joined the process with its debut in the intermediate category thanks to Valentino Rossi and his team.
The idea is therefore to be followed and at Suzuki it would have the advantage of only putting its name on fairings, without the slightest sharing of in-house technology with anyone. However, with only two possible motorcycles at the top of the table, the concern for outlets would quickly arise, which comes back to the question of the satellite structure...
