Tuesday November 20, 2018 will be a day full of announcements and changes in MotoGP. Jorge Lorenzo will be on the RC213V and Danilo Petrucci will wear the official Ducati suit. We will also see the new Yamaha SIC Petronas team at work. At Suzuki, there will also be something to concentrate on with the arrival of Joan Mir. The latter was preferred to Andrea Iannone who will get to know RS-GP Aprilia. That being said, this latest episode still sticks in Joe the Maniac's throat.
The Italian proclaimed to anyone who would listen that he would never understand why Suzuki preferred a young rider from Moto2. Even crowned with a Moto3 title. Davide Brivio, the team manager, answered him. But it is clear that the debate needed to be enriched since, since then, the various parts of the file have supported their remarks or asserted themselves...
First, Joan mir came out of the woods. It was necessary, since even Marc Marquez expressed his doubts about his promotion, which was considered premature. The 21-year-old Mallorcan, with three years of Grand Prix experience and a shy first season in Moto2, commented: “ I hope to perform as quickly as possible, I know it won't be easy, but I will do everything to get there ", told Mir at MotoGP.com. “ My first test with Suzuki is getting closer and closer, I can't wait ". Tuesday after the Valencia Grand Prix, Joan mir will ride the GSX-RR for the first time. He knows that another season in Moto2 would not have been a bad choice, but “ one year of experience in MotoGP is equivalent to several years in Moto2 and I think my first season in Moto2 was better than my first season in Moto3 ».
Its reference point is Maverick Vinales who, after only one season in the middle class, took the plunge into the premier class with good results on Suzuki and a first victory the following year. “ It's my goal » confesses Joan mir who will have as a teammate a alex rins with a trajectory that is ultimately quite identical. And we are currently seeing its good results.
Kevin schwantz, who never missed an opportunity to vilify Iannone, also brought his voice to the debate. The American champion supports the choice of the Japanese house to bet on two young drivers: “ Alex is becoming more and more mature and with Joan they will do well on the Suzuki next year “, declared the world champion in 1993. “ We know the bike is good, the riders must continue to work and give their opinion to the engineers. I think Suzuki can succeed with these two young riders.” The GSX-RR has good agility in corners. She had the opportunity to improve the engine during the season. And it is now much closer to the Yamaha, like the Ducati or the Honda.
Let's end with Davide Brivio who had already spoken on the subject. But who is now more precise on the case Iannone. The team manager does not deny that Joe the Maniac has four podiums and that his results are currently interesting. But performance is not the only thing that Suzuki takes into account. There are also image problems: “ It’s a business strategy. It's about choosing the right riders and Suzuki is looking for more results. Other parameters are important, such as image requirements. We explained it to him... He was disappointed because he couldn't renew with us, his words are simply a matter of frustration ».
