Exactly one month ago and our first article on the subject (see here), the situation of Sylvain Guintoli does not seem to have fundamentally changed, but the bundle of presumptions is growing to depict the most British of French riders as a Suzuki MotoGP test rider, with a hypothetical participation in Endurance within the SERT.
Latest element to date after the recent tests of the French driver in Jerez alongsideAndrea Iannone andalex rins, the one nicknamed “Guinters” spoke in the columns of motorcycle news.
“I’m going to race next year, I can say that. I can't say more but I'm definitely going to run. I had a very good relationship with the Suzuki MotoGP team this year, which was totally unexpected. When I first tried the bike it gave me a lot of feedback and I liked it. I think I helped with some of the problems they were having. There is nothing better for a rider than doing MotoGP. It's fantastic and I really enjoyed doing it. It wasn't even on my mind when I first signed for Suzuki in BSB! The bike gives me a lot of sensations and I am able to explain them to the engineers, and they were able to progress taking that into account. I guess that's the whole point of doing it! I enjoyed doing that and the team saw that what I was saying made sense. »
Everything therefore indicates that Sylvain Guintoli would like to return to his role as Suzuki MotoGP test rider to continue the work already undertaken on several occasions in 2017.
Next year, Suzuki will regain the advantages linked to dealership points, and will have no restrictions on engine testing and development. Bringing in an experienced rider to test future developments to Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins' machines could be an important element for the future of the Hamamatsu team.
At the same time, instead of the WSBK and the BSB which appear as time-consuming as they are unmotivating, our Italian colleagues from Motoracing even go so far as to raise the possibility of participation in Endurance within the multi-titled Suzuki Endurance Racing Team of Dominique Meliand which has experienced some misfortunes this year with the disappearance of the late Anthony Delhalle and the health concerns of his boss.
A hypothesis which, however, would come after possible wild cards in Grand Prix about which the French driver cannot say more than a laconic " we will see "...
