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Suzuki MotoGP

Team of Suzuki in the MotoGP World Championship

Field	Value
Short_name	Suzuki MotoGP
Logo	Suzuki_Motogp.jpg
Last_season	2022
Long_name	Team Suzuki Ecstar
Base	Hamamatsu, Japan
Cambiago, Milan, Italy
Riders_champ	5 1976, 1977 - Barry Sheene
1993 - Kevin Schwantz
2000 - Kenny Roberts Jr.
- Joan Mir
homepage	https://www.suzuki-motogp.com/
Teams_champ	1

Cambiago, Milan, Italy 1993 - Kevin Schwantz 2000 - Kenny Roberts Jr.

Joan Mir

Suzuki MotoGP was the factory-backed team of Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki in the MotoGP World Championship, most recently using the name Team Suzuki Ecstar for sponsorship purposes. Suzuki withdrew from MotoGP competition at the conclusion of the 2022 season, winning their final race with Álex Rins.

History

1970s

In 1971, Grand Prix racer Jack Findlay and his business partner Daniele Fontana constructed a racing motorcycle using a Suzuki T series engine with a chassis of their own design. Findlay rode the motorcycle to victory in the 1971 Ulster Grand Prix marking the first victory for a Suzuki motorcycle in the premier 500cc class, as well as the first-ever 500cc class victory for a motorcycle powered by a two stroke engine.

Suzuki first entered a works team in the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship in with riders Barry Sheene and Findlay riding the Suzuki RG500. The motorcycle was designed by Makoto Hase using the proven square-four, two stroke engine architecture that Suzuki had developed during their successful Grand Prix racing program in the 1960s. The RG 500 was proven successful in its first race at the 1974 500cc French Grand Prix when, Barry Sheene finished in second place behind the defending world champion, Phil Read. The team's first victory came in , a pole-to-finish win by Barry Sheene at the Dutch TT. Sheene finished the season 6th overall with two wins.

Having developed the RG500, Suzuki ceded direct control of their Grand Prix racing program to their British importer, Suzuki GB in 1976 so that, they could concentrate on developing they first four stroke motorcycle, the Suzuki GS series. Barry Sheene won the riders' championship in with a total of five wins. Sheene's second 500cc riders' championship came in with six wins. Teammate Steve Parrish was fifth.

In with two wins on the new Suzuki RGA, Sheene finished second in the championship behind Yamaha rider Kenny Roberts. Teammate Wil Hartog was fourth overall, also won two races. The championship was again won by Roberts with Virginio Ferrari finishing second, Barry Sheene third and Wil Hartog fourth, all riding the new Suzuki RGB.

1980s

Randy Mamola and Graeme Crosby joined Suzuki in . While Yamaha rider Roberts won his third title, Suzuki riders Mamola was second, and Marco Lucchinelli third. Lucchinelli became the 500cc World Champion in riding the new Suzuki RG 500 gamma for the Roberto Gallina racing team.

Lucchinelli left Suzuki to join Honda in . He was replaced on the Gallina team by Franco Uncini who went on to win the World Championship with five wins. Uncini was severely injured at the Dutch TT at Assen in and was unable to defend his title. Suzuki withdrew factory support at the end of the season.

After three years away Suzuki returned in with factory supported entries. While not a full-time return, riders Takumi Itoh and Kevin Schwantz had some good results aboard the new Suzuki RGV500. Suzuki made a full return to racing in with Schwantz finishing 8th overall with two wins whilst teammate Rob McElnea finished the season in 10th place. With a total of six wins, Schwantz was ranked fourth for the season.

1990s

In Schwantz was second overall with five wins while teammate Niall Mackenzie was 4th. Another five wins ranked Schwantz third overall in . Doug Chandler became Schwantz's teammate for during which Schwantz enjoyed one win to finish the season fourth followed by Chandler's fifth place overall.

Schwantz won his long-awaited first World Championship in with four race wins. His new teammate Alex Barros also scored a win and finished 6th overall.

In , Schwantz was 4th overall with two wins whilst Barros was 8th. Early in the season, Schwantz decided to retire from motorcycle competition. The other Suzuki rider Daryl Beattie finished the season second with two race wins.

Scott Russell joined Beattie in . Russell finished the season 6th while Beattie suffered serious injuries pre-season and did not have his previous form. He finished 18th. Beattie was joined by Anthony Gobert in . Beattie finished the season 11th and Gobert 15th. A fifth-place finish by Beattie was the team's best result that season.

Suzuki entered an all Japanese riders lineup in with Nobuatsu Aoki and Katsuaki Fujiwara. Fujiwara however was injured during pre-season tests and Aoki contested the world championship alone. He finished 9th for the season with a best result of 4th place. New rider Kenny Roberts Jr. joined Aoki in . Roberts Jr. took Suzuki's first win in the four years since 1995. His four wins gave him second place in the championship. Aoki was 13th.

2000s

Roberts became World Champion in with a total of four victories, Aoki was 10th overall.

In 2001 Sete Gibernau joined Roberts riding the Suzuki RGV500. Gibernau finished ninth overall and Roberts 11th.

In , the debut year of the new MotoGP class, Roberts and Gibernau rode the new Suzuki GSV-R four-stroke motorcycle. The team's best result was a 3rd-place podium finish by Roberts at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Overall, Roberts finished 9th and Gibernau 16th.

John Hopkins joined Roberts in . Hopkins came seventh at the Spanish Grand Prix. However, Roberts missed three races due to a crash in the Italian Grand Prix and finished the season 19th two places behind Hopkins in 17th place. Hopkins finished the season 16th with Roberts Jr. again two places behind in 18th.

Once again the rider line-up remained the same for , while Englishman Paul Denning became the new team manager taking over the position of Garry Taylor. Roberts took a second place podium-finish in the wet British Grand Prix but finished the season 13th. Hopkins finished 14th for the season.

Chris Vermeulen joined Hopkins in . Hopkins finished the season 10th while Vermeulen finished 11th with a 2nd place podium-finish at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix.

Both riders stayed with the team in and raced the new 800cc Suzuki GSV-R. Vermeulen took Suzuki's first win since the advent of four-stroke regulations and finished the season 6th overall. Hopkins finished 4th with four podium finishes.

For 2008, Chris Vermeulen was joined by Loris Capirossi as the rider lineup and the same lineup remained in 2009.

2010s

For the 2010 season Álvaro Bautista joined the team.

For the 2011 season, the team fielded only one GSV-R for Bautista with no replacement for Loris Capirossi, who moved to the Pramac Racing team. At the end of 2011, Suzuki pulled out of MotoGP citing the need to reduce costs amid the global economic downturn.

In June 2013, Suzuki announced that they would return to MotoGP with a factory team in 2015. On 30 September 2014, Suzuki confirmed that it would participate in MotoGP from 2015, with Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales as their two riders. They raced a newly developed MotoGP machine, the GSX-RR, with a restructured team organisation led by Davide Brivio.

2020s

In 2020, Suzuki secured the team's title for the first time, while rider Joan Mir secured the rider's title, becoming the first Suzuki rider to do so since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000.

On 12 May 2022, Suzuki announced they were "...in discussions with Dorna regarding the possibility of ending its participation in MotoGP at the end of 2022". Suzuki were reported to have contractual obligations to participate until 2026. Suzuki won two of their final three races in Australia and Valencia.

MotoGP results

By rider

Year	Class	Team name	Bike	Wins	Podiums
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR	SPA Joan Mir	16	0	0
SPA Álex Rins	19	2	4
JPN Kazuki Watanabe	1	0	0
JPN Takuya Tsuda	1	0	0
ITA Danilo Petrucci	1	0	0

By year

(key)

Year	Team	Motorcycle	Tyres	No.	Riders	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17
Telefónica Movistar Suzuki	Suzuki GSV-R				JPN	SAF	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	GBR	GER	CZE	POR	RIO	PAC	MAL	AUS	VAL
15	ESP Sete Gibernau	Ret	16	9	12	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	4	Ret	8	Ret	14	12	13
10	USA Kenny Roberts Jr.	Ret	Ret	8	5	Ret	7	6	14		11	4	3	6	8	9	Ret
51	JPN Yukio Kagayama									Ret
Team Suzuki Test	33	JPN Akira Ryō	2					11	15	13	11	14				11				colspan=2
Suzuki Grand Prix Team	Suzuki GSV-R				JPN	SAF	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	GBR	GER	CZE	POR	RIO	PAC	MAL	AUS	VAL
21	USA John Hopkins	13	13	7	Ret	Ret	15	15	11	Ret	17	18	DNS	Ret		12	13
10	USA Kenny Roberts Jr.	14	15	13	16	Ret				15	20	17	17	15	14	9	11
71	JPN Yukio Kagayama							Ret	12
43	JPN Akira Ryō														20
Team Suzuki Test	43	JPN Akira Ryō													10					colspan=2
Team Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSV-R				SAF	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	RIO	GER	GBR	CZE	POR	JPN	QAT	MAL	AUS	VAL
21	USA John Hopkins	13	15	Ret		Ret	14	15	9	8	Ret	6	Ret	8	Ret	15	12
10	USA Kenny Roberts Jr.	Ret	8	12	Ret	17	16	7	8	17	10	14	Ret
32	ESP Gregorio Lavilla															16	17
71	JPN Yukio Kagayama													11	14
Team Suzuki Test	32	ESP Gregorio Lavilla					Ret					Ret								colspan=2
Team Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSV-R				SPA	POR	CHN	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	USA	GBR	GER	CZE	JPN	MAL	QAT	AUS	TUR	VAL
21	USA John Hopkins	14	Ret	7	16	11	Ret	14	8	11	Ret	14	5	9	17	10	15	13
10	USA Kenny Roberts Jr.	Ret	12	Ret	13	15	15	16	14	2	11	11	8	7	11
9	JPN Nobuatsu Aoki											16						Ret
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSV-R				SPA	QAT	TUR	CHN	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	GBR	GER	USA	CZE	MAL	AUS	JPN	POR	VAL
21	USA John Hopkins	9	Ret	17	4	15	10	4	6	8	10	6	7	6	12	12	6	11
71	AUS Chris Vermeulen	12	Ret	7	Ret	10	14	6	10	16	7	5	12	11	2	11	9	Ret
Team Suzuki Test	64	JPN Kousuke Akiyoshi																13			colspan=2
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSV-R				QAT	SPA	TUR	CHN	FRA	ITA	CAT	GBR	NED	GER	USA	CZE	SMR	POR	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
21	USA John Hopkins	4	19	6	3	7	5	4	5	5	7	15	2	3	6	10	7	8	3
71	AUS Chris Vermeulen	7	9	11	7	1	8	7	3	16	11	2	5	2	13	11	8	7	6
Team Suzuki Test	64	JPN Kousuke Akiyoshi		17													Ret				rowspan="2" colspan=2
9	JPN Nobuatsu Aoki																	13
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSV-R				QAT	SPA	POR	CHN	FRA	ITA	CAT	GBR	NED	GER	USA	CZE	SMR	IND	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
7	AUS Chris Vermeulen	17	10	8	Ret	5	10	7	8	7	3	3	6	5	9	Ret	15	9	13
65	ITA Loris Capirossi	8	5	9	9	7	7	Ret		WD	7	15	3	7	16	6	10	7	9
11	USA Ben Spies								14
Team Suzuki Test	11	USA Ben Spies											8			6					colspan=2 rowspan=3
64	JPN Kousuke Akiyoshi															Ret
9	JPN Nobuatsu Aoki																	17
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSV-R				QAT	JPN	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	USA	GER	GBR	CZE	IND	SMR	POR	AUS	MAL	VAL
7	AUS Chris Vermeulen	7	10	10	6	10	11	5	8	13	13	11	11	9	10	11	6	15
65	ITA Loris Capirossi	Ret	7	6	8	5	5	9	Ret	11	11	5	7	5	Ret	12	9	14
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSV-R				QAT	SPA	FRA	ITA	GBR	NED	CAT	GER	USA	CZE	IND	SMR	ARA	JPN	MAL	AUS	POR	VAL
19	ESP Álvaro Bautista	Ret	10	DNS	14	12	14	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	8	8	7	5	12	11	9
65	ITA Loris Capirossi	9	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	13	7	11	10	Ret	11	Ret		Ret	Ret	DNS	13	Ret
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSV-R				QAT	SPA	POR	FRA	CAT	GBR	NED	ITA	GER	USA	CZE	IND	SMR	ARA	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
19	ESP Álvaro Bautista	DNS		13	12	12	5	11	13	7	Ret	Ret	6	8	6	Ret	Ret	C	Ret
21	USA John Hopkins		10									DNS						C

Year	Team	Motorcycle	Tyres	No.	Riders	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
Team Suzuki MotoGP	Suzuki GSX-RR				QAT	AME	ARG	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	GER	IND	CZE	GBR	SMR	ARA	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
14	FRA Randy de Puniet																		Ret
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR				QAT	AME	ARG	SPA	FRA	ITA	ESP	NED	GER	USA	CZE	GBR	SMR	ARA	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
25	ESP Maverick Viñales	14	9	10	11	9	7	6	10	11	11	Ret	11	14	11	Ret	6	8	11
41	ESP Aleix Espargaró	11	8	7	7	Ret	Ret	Ret	9	10	14	9	9	10	6	11	9	7	8
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR				QAT	ARG	AME	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	GER	AUT	CZE	GBR	RSM	ARA	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
25	ESP Maverick Viñales	6	Ret	4	6	3	6	4	9	12	6	9	1	5	4	3	3	6	5
41	ESP Aleix Espargaró	11	11	5	5	6	9	Ret	Ret	14	Ret	Ret	7	Ret	7	4	Ret	13	8
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR				QAT	ARG	AME	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	GER	CZE	AUT	GBR	RSM	ARA	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
29	ITA Andrea Iannone	Ret	16	7	Ret	10	10	16	9	Ret	19	11	Ret	Ret	12	4	6	17	6
42	ESP Álex Rins	9	Ret	DNS					17	21	11	16	9	8	17	5	8	DSQ	4
12	JPN Takuya Tsuda				17
50	FRA Sylvain Guintoli					15	17	17
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR				QAT	ARG	AME	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	GER	CZE	AUT	GBR	RSM	ARA	THA	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
29	ITA Andrea Iannone	9	8	3	3	Ret	4	10	11	12	10	13	C	8	3	11	Ret	2	Ret	Ret
42	ESP Álex Rins	Ret	3	Ret	Ret	10	5	Ret	2	Ret	11	8	C	4	4	6	3	5	2	2
50	FRA Sylvain Guintoli							Ret			19						21					colspan="2"
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR				QAT	ARG	AME	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	NED	GER	CZE	AUT	GBR	RSM	ARA	THA	JPN	AUS	MAL	VAL
36	ESP Joan Mir	8	Ret	17	Ret	16	12	6	8	7	Ret			8	14	7	8	5	10	7
42	ESP Álex Rins	4	5	1	2	10	4	4	Ret	Ret	4	6	1	Ret	9	5	7	9	5	5
50	FRA Sylvain Guintoli							13			20		12				20
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR				SPA	ANC	CZE	AUT	STY	RSM	EMI	CAT	FRA	ARA	TER	EUR	VAL	POR
36	ESP Joan Mir	Ret	5	Ret	2	4	3	2	2	11	3	3	1	7	Ret
42	ESP Álex Rins	DNS	10	4	Ret	6	5	12	3	NC	1	2	2	4	15
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR				QAT	DOH	POR	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	GER	NED	STY	AUT	GBR	ARA	RSM	AME	EMI	ALR	VAL
36	ESP Joan Mir	4	7	3	5	Ret	3	4	9	3	2	4	9	3	6	8	Ret	2	5
42	ESP Álex Rins	6	4	Ret	20	Ret	Ret		11	11	7	14	2	11	Ret	4	6	8	Ret
Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki GSX-RR				QAT	INA	ARG	AME	POR	SPA	FRA	ITA	CAT	GER	NED	GBR	AUT	RSM	ARA	JPN	THA	AUS	MAL	VAL
9	ITA Danilo Petrucci																	20
36	ESP Joan Mir	6	6	4	4	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	4	Ret	8	Ret	Ret		DNS			18	19	6
42	ESP Álex Rins	7	5	3	2	4	19	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNS	10	7	8	7	9	Ret	12	1	5	1
85	JPN Takuya Tsuda																Ret
92	JPN Kazuki Watanabe														21

References

Duncan, Lewis. (2022-11-06). "Rins was ‘crying on the grid’ before taking Suzuki’s farewell MotoGP win".
[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1553493/Jack-Findlay.html Jack Findlay obituary - The Telegraph]
"MotoGP Milestones". crash.net.
"Suzuki Motorcycle History: Racing History 1970s". Global Suzuki.
(1999). "Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix". Hazleton Publishing Ltd.
"Suzuki Motorcycle History: Racing History 1980s". Global Suzuki.
"Suzuki Motorcycle History: Racing History 1990s". Global Suzuki.
"Kenny Roberts Jr, Biography and Information". highrevs.net.
"Suzuki Motorcycle History: Racing History 2000s". Global Suzuki.
(17 November 2003). "Suzuki MotoGP Team Makes Choice Of Bridgestone Tires Official". Road Racing World.
(6 August 2005). "Paul Denning, Suzuki Team Manager". [[Dorna Sports]].
(October 28, 2005). "Vermeulen Signs Two-year Deal With Suzuki MotoGP Team". Roadracing World.
(18 November 2011). "Suzuki to suspend MotoGP operation due to 'tough circumstances'". [[Guardian Media Group]].
Ramsey, Jonathon. (18 June 2013). "Suzuki back in MotoGP for 2015". [[AOL]].
(30 September 2014). "Suzuki return to MotoGP™ with Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales in 2015". [[Dorna Sports]].
"SUZUKI ANNOUNCEMENT".
[https://the-race.com/motogp/dorna-contacts-suzuki-to-remind-it-of-contract-conditions/ Dorna contacts Suzuki to remind it of contract conditions] the-race.com, 3 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022
Duncan, Lewis. (2022-10-16). "MotoGP Australian GP: Rins wins last-lap thriller, Quartararo crashes out".

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