MotoGP | Suzuki presents Mir and Rins’ bikes for the 2022 season
Suzuki has unveiled the Team Suzuki Ecstar bikes for the 2022 MotoGP season. The team continues with the two riders from last season, Joan Mir, who finished third in the Championship, and Alex Rins, who had an unstable year but expects more consistency in the new season.
They will ride the new 2022 GSX-RR, which boasts a brand new paint scheme with the black flashes adding attitude to the blue and silver. And an updated logo, a combination of retro and modern Suzuki stylings, can also be found on the bike, clothes, leathers, and team trucks.
According to them, the new GSX-RR is upgraded not only on the surface but also under the fairings so, expectations are high for this new season.
The team also has a fresh hashtag and slogan for the 2022 season: #GearingUp. This new phrase is designed to inspire fans to join the team in gearing up for an exciting year ahead, but also to show the intentions of the team – an improvement in performance and the idea of pushing everything up one gear compared with 2021.
Joan Mir: “I took some time during the winter to relax and shut off after a tricky 2021 season. I was happy to finish 3rd in the championship but I’m hungry for more, and it was important to reset so that I could focus 100% on achieving my maximum. My pre-season training has gone well and I’m feeling fit and ready to attack. I’m looking forward to getting back on my bike, the tests that took place at the end of last year showed an improved performance that I’m happy with, so now it’s time to show the new livery and put more laps in ahead of the season start in around one month’s time.”
Alex Rins: “The new GSX-RR looks amazing, and it also performs well! I’m really happy to be nearing the start of a new season. I’ve done a lot of training during the break, not only in the gym but also on my GSXR1000R street bike. However, nothing compares to our race bike at the circuits. It’s nice to reunite with the team, we are all focused on the same goal and I trust in them, we’ve all shown that we’re ready to achieve great things. The test days will be important, but we can’t wait for the first race in Qatar!”
Shinichi Sahara – Team Suzuki Ecstar Project Leader and Team Director: “The off-season has been a very busy one with a lot of hard work, both in Europe and in Japan. Everybody has been putting in a huge effort to prepare for a new season where we hope to be more competitive. We have a lot of trust in our project, and in our two riders, and we are keen to get started – not only in testing but racing. Our GSX-RR looks impressive and with support from our key sponsors, fans, and team members we want to put it on the top step as soon as possible. During the last test in Jerez we saw great potential in the new components, and the feedback from our test rider Sylvain Guintoli as well as Joan and Alex, was pretty positive. Because of this we started the winter break with some nice vibes and in good spirits. Let’s see what we can show in this exciting new season.”
Anyway, the 2022 MotoGP season currently has 21 Grands Prix confirmed, and it will officially start on March 6th in Qatar. Before that, official tests are scheduled: February 5 in Malaysia; February 11 in Indonesia (new circuit); and February 19 in Portugal.
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