With a new rider line up and a win under their belts in just their second season back in the MotoGP series, Suzuki is now aiming for an even stronger 2017.
Maverick Vinales, who has made the move to Yamaha to replace Jorge Lorenzo, took the team’s first and only victory since their return in 2014 at last year’s British Grand Prix. The Italian rider was in fine form and stood on the podium on three other occasions, taking him to fourth place in the rider’s championship, just behind Lorenzo.
For 2017 the team will field former Ducati racer, Andrea Iannone, alongside rookie Alex Rins.
Team boss, Davide Brivio is now hoping to build on their 2016 accomplishments and be a regular to the top step of the rostrum in 2017…
"We never said 'we want to win in three years, in five years or whatever'," he told Autosport. "Clearly we would like to be a championship contender as soon as possible. The target was to get close to the Ducati and then close to Yamaha and Honda. We kind of did that, we won a race, we got a podium.”
“Normally we started the race with the possibility to fight. Now the next step is to maybe be regularly race win contenders. Of course this is the most difficult part, but that's what we have to do next."
