Everybody knew that Joan Mir had signed with Suzuki for 2019, but the team has announced it just recently. Davide Brivio and the head of the Japanese squad have decided to bet on two young riders for 2019, rather than signing Jorge Lorenzo or renewing with Andrea Iannone. The latter has scored two podiums so far in 2018, after the trouble experienced last year due to technical issues and mistakes.
IANNONE’S GOODBYE – Negotiations for 2019 started already during winter testing and this forced Suzuki to plan next season very quickly. They thought that the new GSX-RR didn’t suit Andrea Iannone’s riding style and so they immediately started negotiations with Joan Mir. “Nowadays, teams think of the season after already during the current one – said Davide Brivio to ‘Mundo Deportivo’. “If it starts already during the first GP of the year, you can judge your riders just for what they did previously. It’s bad for both teams and riders, because riders cannot prove the steps forward they make…But it just works like and everyone in the paddock is affected“.
WHY MIR? – Suzuki is convinced that Alex Rins and Joan Mir will grant great results, but we can’t really know how it will go. It’s difficult to fight for the title against MotoGP top riders, but for Suzuki this represents a medium-term project. “Our chairman, Toshihiro Suzuki and the company in general have always wanted to focus on young riders. Suzuki likes to sign youngsters, to grow with them and, hopefully, to win“. This was their plan when they signed Maverick Vinales some years ago, but it came to an end when the Spaniard joined Yamaha. “With Mir we can try again – said Davide Brivio – and we really like this challenge. It’s another way to face the championship…We don’t give up the fight for the title. That’s why we’re here! We just want to win with our riders. Yes, it’s a big challenge, but Suzuki wants to win races, and hopefully titles, with its own riders, instead of stealing an apparently competitive one from another manufacturer…We know it’s risky, but at least we have the courage to do it“.