MotoGP Suzuki: 2020, the tree that hides the forest?

At first glance, the Suzuki team disappoints in this year 2021. Joan mir, reigning world champion, fails to win. If we look a little deeper into the question, is the firm in bad shape? Analysis.

The reality is different. You may find it hard to believe, but Suzuki is having as good a season as last year. How is this possible? The context, quite simply.

There's no point in lying to yourself: Yes, Joan Mir deserved her world champion title, it is a fact. However, we cannot deny the difficulties encountered by its competitors, as well as the health context, preventing any organization of races outside the European continent.

Statistics, even if they are not always perfect, greatly help to understand the cold reality of things, even if we sometimes want to omit it, consciously or not. Mir was world champion with 12,71 points per race, the smallest total since the appearance of the current scale in 1993. Being titled with so few points is a statistical miracle, a mathematical anomaly.

 

 

At the start of the 2021 season, we listed Mir as one of the main favorites for the title, as any incumbent champion should be. As it stands, we are only half wrong.

After nine races last year, Mir posted a total of 105 point overall, and was second, 10 points behind Fabio. At the same time, this year, he compiles 101 points, but he is “only” fourth, at 55 points from the leader.

These are the standards Suzuki, quite simply, and it's not even a question of outperformance. In 2019, Alex Rins, the team's No. 1 driver, counted 101 point after nine rounds. On the manufacturer's side, it's essentially the same thing. 118 points in 2020, 105 in 2021, still at the same stage in the season.

 

 

The case Alex Rins is extremely complicated and deserves an article in its own right. If he goes through a bad patch, there is no doubt about his talent. Unfortunately, since the formation of the duo, the team cannot count on two strong drivers at the same time to score good points in the constructor's championship, which is, let's remember, as important as the driver's championship.

This information is quite sad in itself. Suzuki did not “ overperformed » in 2020. The delay caused by the absence of holeshot device does not help to put Mir in good conditions, although he should make his appearance shortly, according to the words of Sylvain Guintoli.

This also means that we should not expect as much from Mir, who is playing at his “2020 world champion” level. THE " Suzuki syndrome » has therefore not finished cracking down. Since the era of domination of Barry Sheene, late 70s, no driver has been able to establish himself sustainably for consecutive years within the brand. However, the season is only halfway underway, and many surprises are to come.

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport