As the 2022 MotoGP World Championship season draws to a close, Team Suzuki Ecstar staff and riders are preparing to close up shop following the decision earlier this year to end Suzuki's competition plans.
This end of the season will be moving and unusual for the entire team and all the enthusiasts, but the objective is to finish in style, on the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia which closes the MotoGP year under the sun of Spain, as has become a tradition over the years.
alex rins has good memories of this Spanish circuit, where he often got on the podium during his various participations, all categories combined. Rins has raced at Valencia for the past 10 years and has four podiums at the circuit: P3 in Moto3™ in 2013, P2 in Moto2™ in 2015, P2 in MotoGP™ in 2018 as well as in 2020 (European GP) , both times from second place on the grid. Rins was also boosted by his recent victory in Australia, and fifth place last time out in Malaysia, so he will be looking for a podium finish in Sunday's final dance with Suzuki before joining LCR Honda in Tuesday's practice. next.
Joan mir won what was called the “European GP” held in Valencia in 2020, and the following week he took his first MotoGP crown at the same circuit.
Mir has competed in Valencia for the past six years and has finished on the podium three times: in Moto3™, P2 in 2016 and 2017, and a victory in 2020 in MotoGP™ (at the European GP).
– In 2018, he crashed from the Moto2™ race on the first lap at Turn 2, dragging Lorenzo Baldassarri in the process.
– 2019 was Mir’s first race in Valencia on a MotoGP™. He qualified and finished in seventh position.
– At the 2020 European GP, he started fifth and took the lead from Álex Rins at Turn 8, with nine laps to go, to take his first (and only) MotoGP™ victory to date.
– At the Valencia GP, he qualified 12th and finished seventh to win the world championship.
– In 2021, he qualified in fourth position for his second best qualifier of the year and finished P4.
With his injured ankle now feeling stronger, Mir hopes to rekindle some of the great memories he experienced here two years ago and celebrate one last time with his Suzuki team before joining Honda alongside Marc Márquez...
Alex Rins : " It's going to be a strange and sad weekend, but I'm determined to have a good one. My team has given me everything over the years, and I will give everything to return the favor by achieving a good result one last time. Our team's attitude has always been to try to stay happy, so let's start in Valencia with good vibes and try to enjoy every moment. »
Joan mir : " I want to put everything in place for this last round, for me and for my team. I can be fast here, and my bike can be fast too, but we just need a little luck on our side to put it all together. I've had some issues lately, like compartment syndrome in Malaysia, and the pressure gauge problem in Australia, and all I want now is to have a trouble-free weekend so I can close this chapter with my fantastic team and enjoy the last race. »
Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant, Team Manager: “ We face the last dance here in Spain this weekend, and for sure it will be an unusual weekend for all of us. But since this announcement was made by Japan, we have wanted to keep our heads high, and I believe that the whole team has been extremely professional throughout the season and I am proud of that. Let’s strive to celebrate one last success together. »
After a three-year break from the MotoGP world championship from 2012 to 2014, Suzuki returned to the world stage with the SUZUKI ECSTAR team.
In 2016, the Spanish Maverick Vinales puts Suzuki back on the top step of the podium with victory at Silverstone.
The following year was marked by the beginnings ofAlex Rins in the MotoGP category, joining the SUZUKI ECSTAR team as a factory rider. It proved to be a baptism of fire for the Spaniard, who was hit by injuries during pre-season testing, winter training and, most costly of all, during free practice at the Friday in Texas, where he broke his right wrist. His recovery took him 5 races, and when he finally returned to his GSX-RR at Assen, he had to start his entire approach to MotoGP again. His growth since that point has been steady and rapid, allowing him to be fully prepared for a much happier 2018 season.
The 2018 season, Álex's second in MotoGP, was much smoother with fewer injuries and a much more competitive GSX-RR. Alex Rins got off to a flying start in Argentina, landing his first podium in MotoGP (3rd place). This led him to an exceptional second half of the season with three 2nd places (Netherlands, Malaysia and Valencia) and a 3rd place in Japan, a particularly important podium finish ahead of Suzuki Motor Corporation President Mr. Toshihiro Suzuki. He closed the year in a good 5th place in the general classification.
In 2019, Alex Rins managed to win two races during the season (Austin and Silverstone) to finish the year in fourth place in the Championship. It is also the first season of Joan mir in MotoGP. During his first race, in Qatar, he achieved a superb 8th place. He went on to score nine more Top 10 finishes, despite a crippling mid-season injury that caused him to miss two rounds. Joan then returned to achieve his best result, an impressive 5th place in Thailand, then backed that up with two more 5th places in the final two races of the season in Malaysia and Spain. He finished his rookie season 12th in the championship standings.
Joan mir produced a sensational 2020 season, showing consistency and maturity throughout the year to be crowned MotoGP World Champion and put Suzuki back in the spotlight after 20 years and the world title of Kenny Roberts Jr., son of the famous “King” Kenny Roberts. Combined with the impressive shape ofAlex Rins, it was truly the year of “comeback” for Suzuki, a feat made all the more special as the factory celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding and 60 years of racing.
The goal in 2021 has always been to be challengers for podiums and victories. Piece by piece, the team sought to put together a solid campaign that would allow Mir and Rins to achieve the most results possible. Somehow things didn't go as planned, but the drivers and the team (both in Europe and Japan) worked tirelessly to find solutions, to accumulate the success and maintain a strong bond within the group. Together they achieved 3rd place in the drivers', constructors' and teams' championships.
This year, stunned by the news of the withdrawal of the Hamamatsu factory, Alex Rins is 8th with a victory in Australia, Joan mir 15e.
