Suzuki has confirmed that it will return to the MotoGP arena in 2015, with a 1000cc transverse-four Grand Prix bike - and the first prototype is already up and running.
The Hamamatsu-based bikemaker, which won 500cc world titles with the likes of Barry Sheene, Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr, pulled out in 2011, saying it needed to reduce costs in the face of a global economic downturn, saying at the time it hoped to return in 2014.
Davide Brivio, Valentino Rossi's former boss at Yamaha, will manage the test team with Randy De Puniet serving as development rider. Suzuki's return will give MotoGP at least four major manufacturers in the top category, with Honda, Yamaha and Ducati all present. Kawasaki pulled out in 2009.
SHAKEDOWN RUN
The new GP Suzuki was seen in public for the first time at an official MotoGP test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on Monday (17 June), after the Catalunya MotoGP.
Factory test rider, veteran Nobuatsu Aoki, gave it a shakedown run before handing over to De Puniet, who posted a best lap of 1min42.676, only 0.772sec off the day's best time, set by Jorge Lorenzo (who won the previous day's Catalunya Grand Prix) on the Yamaha M1.
Suzuki said it would continue to test inside and outside Japan after that.
“Suzuki will participate again in MotoGP racing from 2015,” it added. - Reuters