After a three-year absence from MotoGP, Suzuki is working hard to make its GSX-RR competitive with the other factory bikes. The highlight thus far was at Barcelona, where Aleix Espargaro secured for Suzuki its first pole position since returning to MotoGP, with rookie Maverick Vinales only 0.083 seconds behind. A new engine gave the GSX-RR some extra performance, and a seamless gearbox should arrive in time for the Indianapolis GP. The team hopes to compete with the top six factory riders by the end of the 2015 season. Davide Brivio, Suzuki Team Manager, talks with us about the MotoGP effort.
Cycle World: What is responsible for Suzuki's recent speed?Davide Brivio: At Barcelona, we received an engine update that helped in terms of speed. We gained some km/h, improving in acceleration and power delivery, but we have to consider that Montmelo is a special venue for our riders. It's their home GP, especially for Aleix [Espargaro], who grew up just 6 km from the circuit. They both liked the track and the layout suited our bike. Saturday was fantastic. Being 1st and 2nd on the grid after only seven races was a great result. We knew that on Sunday it would be another story, but the race was positive. Aleix was 4th when he crashed and Maverick did his best result (6th). It was a step forward, not only for Espargaro, who is more experienced, but also for Maverick, who was struggling at the beginning of the season with the soft tires. We are confident we can repeat these kind of results.
CW: What about Assen this weekend?DB: The Cathedral can suit Suzuki's characteristics. The circuit is tight with lots of changes in direction, which is perfect for our machine. Aleix claimed the pole position here last year and finished 4th. The real unknown is the weather. I think we have a good chances to do well in dry conditions.
CW: What is the GSX-RR missing in its fight to win?DB: We are still far from victory. The six factory riders [Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Iannone, and Andrew Dovizioso] have a very fast pace. We still need to work a lot to fill certain gaps, but I'm confident that we can progress.
CW: What was Suzuki greatest challenge?DB: From a technical point of view, we started from scratch. Suzuki had a 4V 800cc engine, and now we have a inline-4 with 1000cc. We started from zero, saving only some engineers and the know-how from the old project. While Suzuki was out of MotoGP [from 2011 to 2014], the electronics made a huge step forward. We had to recover, and we are still chasing. Then, in the last part of 2014, we had some serious relibility problems. We used three engines in a race weekend last year at Valencia with the wild card Randy DePuniet. Our priority was to solve these issues. Mission accomplished so far; in fact, we've used used only two engines in six races. At Barcelona, we changed engines because there was the new update. The challenge so far has been to improve the reliability and the electronics. Now we need to close the gap.
CW: What are the bike's strengths and weaknesses?DB: The chassis is our strongest point. Both riders have been very happy with it since the beginning. The weakness? We still need to improve the top speed, the engine performance and also the electronics. It's not as sophisticated as that of our competitors.
CW: And how's the team?DB: This is a new project and everyone is very motivated, starting with the riders. They are fast but also very motivated. Aleix and Maverick joined the Suzuki factory team because they believed in the project. They are very excited and willing to be successful with us. We started from zero and we are growing together. We all know that we are part of a new program and everyone gives his contribution. On the other hand, maybe there are some procedures that we need to refine as we are a young group, but the passion and the enthusiasm are prevailing.
CW: How will the introduction of the single ECU change the equilibrium?DB: The electronics will be frozen starting from Assen, but together with Aprilia we can continue the development as we entered the MotoGP circus this year. On the other side, only Honda, Yamaha and Ducati are able to work on the development of the 2016 electronics. Regarding next year, we are all curious to discover how it will be. It's the same software for everyone but the teams can play with many parameters. The engineers will still play an important role. Once again, teams with more experience and know-how will make the difference.
CW: What will have a bigger effect in 2016, the single ECU or the change of tire supplier?DB: In my opinion, the management of electronics remains the key factor. Regarding the tires, the good riders will adapt quite quickly, so it's more a question of the riders. We are still studying how much the switch from Bridgestone to Michelin will affect the machine, as we haven't done many tests compared to the other manufacturers. The single ECU and the tire change may open some new scenarios but it won't be a revolution. In addition to reducing the costs, the single ECU may also reduce a little bit the gap among the bikes and improve the show. As for the fuel reduction from 24 to 22 liters next year, and the use of nine engines instead of 12, that won't be an issue for us.
CW: How do you see the battle shaping up for the MotoGP title?DB: It's a surprise to see Marquez out of the game. The Honda guy has to count on the mistakes of Rossi and Lorenzo to reduce the gap, so it will be difficult. I think it will end up as a battle of nerves between the two factory Yamaha riders. They are on the same bike, their performance is similar, so it will be a question of experience and motivation. And Valentino can invent something. Yamaha will treat them equally. In this moment, Lorenzo has a big advantage—he starts from the front and leads the race until the checkered flag. To put pressure on him, Valentino needs to improve his performance in qualifying and start from the front row. I think this is what he will do.
