Suzuki Team Manager Livio Suppo On The Future Of His Riders And The Remainder Of The MotoGP Season
Categories: MotoGP
When Livio Suppo got appointed as Suzuki team manager for the 2022 season, he did not think it would only be a one-year engagement with the Japanese manufacturer. Now, the Italian talks about the near future.
Suzuki’s 2022 season more or less does not matter anymore since the Japanese manufacturer announced its departure from MotoGP for the end of the 2022 season.
But, despite that, the team still develops its bikes and invests a lot of man power to get their bikes to where they want them to be.
In an interview for MotoGP.com, the Italian states: “We want to end the last season of Suzuki in the best way possible.”
However, since the shock announcement was made, results have not meet the Suzuki standard of the last few seasons.
A symbolic image for Suzuki’s performance since the departure announcement – Image provided by Motorsport Images
When asked about the reasons and whether Suzuki’s exit played a role, Suppo explains: “At the beginning it was a big shock for everybody, but it’s very difficult to say if it had any influence on the riders.”
He continues: “However, I think both riders will soon know where they will be next year so they will be a bit more relaxed.”
Same should adapt for the rest of the team. Not only the riders and team managers, but also all mechanics and engineers will be worried about their future.
Astonishingly, the motivation and atmosphere in the team has stayed high ever since. Even new parts got developed and a new front wing specification is now in use by both riders.
“The testing in Barcelona went really well. We found something in the setup to be more comfortable on the bike so I really look forward to the remainder of the season. The package was already good and has now become even stronger,” states Suppo.
Though it might be his last season as team manager for the foreseeable future, Suppo is more worried about his team. The Italian only has good words for them:
“The team is incredible. The atmosphere is great and I can’t believe they can still smile on the weekends. I couldn’t wish for a better team and I really hope that everybody finds a job for the new season.”
