The GP of the Republic of Argentina will mark the first long travel for the MotoGP riders this season, with more than 14 hours of journey time to get from Europe to the western region of Santiago del Estero. This long trip will require both Suzuki riders Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins to adapt quickly to the new timezone, and recover and conserve their energy.
The Termas de Rio Hondo circuit is a relatively new track which brings together some of the characteristics from the best historical European venues, yet it has its own character which the riders really appreciate. This year some sections have been resurfaced, which will mean an initial question mark in terms of tyre performance and longevity.
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR head to Argentina with positive feelings after the GP of Qatar, where there were many positive indications in regard to performance. Iannone and Rins’ achievements have been positive, setting the team on a good path for future development.
Last year’s race was a hectic one for the team: Iannone took 13th place in a rainy qualifying session, and he was feeling confident for the race, but a very small mistake on the grid – a jump start – took away his dreams of glory as he had to complete a ride through penalty. Starting only his second ever MotoGP race was tough for the Spaniard Alex Rins, who was struggling with an injury to his foot. However, he fought fiercely in the race, but was forced to stop before the chequered flag as the pain became unbearable.
Andrea Iannone
“I head to Argentina with positive feelings, as I remember that last year we could perform quite well here. The circuit is one I like and the GSX-RR is well suited to the layout. Last year my feelings were good, unfortunately we had to do a ride through penalty in the race which took me out of contention for the top positions, but the performance and the pace were very competitive. I’m expecting good team work to help me improve session by session, together we’ll work on all the small things that once they are put together they can make a good performance overall. The first races are always important to give the right direction to the rest of the season, I want to try to seize this GP at 100%.”
Alex Rins
“I’m positive about going to Termas de Rio Hondo because the circuit is something special and I like it. I remember that last year I came to Argentina with an injury on my foot, and despite this I have good memories of the track – so that means it’s really nice! Another good thing about this place is the people: the fans are really close to us and the whole location turns into a big party when welcoming the MotoGP people.”