Despite strong rumors and all one bundle of presumptions, and like Stefan Bradl for Honda, Sylvain Guintoli has still not been made official as a Suzuki test rider. We even saw it recently try an electric motorcycle, undoubtedly on behalf of Michelin…
But ultimately, is it really important, since the French rider is very satisfied when he rides the GSX–RR, and where, at least as important, the men from Hamamatsu are quick to recognize his talent and ask only one thing: to work with him!
However, this is indeed the case, if we judge by the latest interview with the Japanese managers of the Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP team published in the paper version of Moto sprint...
Ken Kawauchi, technical director of the Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP team: “When Guintoli drove at Le Mans and Barcelona, we were able to discover a new and better direction for engine development thanks to Sylvain's information.”
When we know that the 2017 engine was the number one problem for Suzuki this season, and the initial cause of all their problems, we can imagine the value of the information...
This is also translated by the little phrase of Shinichi Sahara, the new Project Leader Suzuki MotoGP: “For example, Guintoli is a very fast test driver, and he also has a very keen eye on development: we would like to continue working with him.”
Well done to the French driver, because being publicly solicited by a factory is not the worst situation that exists... could this result in one or two wild cards?
Still not made official, Sylvain Guintoli will take part in private testing at Sepang next Wednesday for 3 days.
