Will history repeat itself in the form of Suzuki’s first MotoGP win of the season at Aragon this weekend?
Last year saw Alex Rins break the GSX-RR’s victory drought with a close win over Honda’s Alex Marquez and team-mate Joan Mir in the opening Aragon round.
Both Suzuki riders were again on the podium the following weekend, when Franco Morbidelli won for Yamaha.
Mir then celebrated a debut MotoGP victory next time at Valencia, just before lifting the world title, to make it two Suzuki wins in the space of three races.
But the team’s purple patch abruptly disappeared and the factory has now gone 14 rounds without a rider on the top step of the MotoGP podium.
In Rins’ case, it took until the recent Silverstone round to even feature on the rostrum in 2021, courtesy of second place to Fabio Quartararo, but he’s now looking to carry that momentum into a circuit where he feels ‘at home’.
“MotorLand has an amazing layout, but what stands out the most about it is the personal meaning for me. It is very close to Valdealgorfa, where I used to spend the summer with my grandparents as a child, so I feel at home,” Rins explained.
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“We come here now with a strong momentum from Silverstone, and this is a special circuit for me, as last year I got lot of points in the two MotoGP rounds here.
“I have great memories from last year, I got a really nice victory and the feeling was fantastic. It means I’m coming into this race with good motivation and confidence, especially after my result at Silverstone two weeks ago.”
Countryman Mir had a more frustrating time at Silverstone, slipping to ninth after struggling for front tire grip and, while second in the world championship, is now a daunting 65-points from Quartararo.
“Silverstone was a bad one for me in the end, and the points gap has got bigger, but I’m second in the championship and I’m still eager to fight,” said Mir, who has made four podium appearances so far this season.
“Since Silverstone we have been working hard to try and better understand how to get the most out of our bike, and I feel confident.
“MotorLand is a circuit that I really like because it has quite fast corners and that kind of ‘corkscrew’ that makes it a very special circuit, as well as a good variety of corners, angles, ups and downs. It is a different track because it changes a lot from one sector to another.
“I’ve always liked it a lot and I’m looking forward to race here. Perhaps the most demanding part of its layout may be Sector 1 due to the high-speed side-to-side changes. Also Sector 3, where there are also several strong turns.
“Then you have the last sector, where you enjoy a kind of a break. Last year I got two podiums here, so now I’m thinking about improving and aiming for victory or at least fighting again for a podium result.”
Having removed its new rear ride-height device for Silverstone, where the faster entry onto the straights negated much of the acceleration advantages, the factory is expected to join the other manufacturers in using the system again at Aragon, where a tight chicane leads onto the back straight.
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