Last week Suzuki confirmed Alex Rins for two more years in MotoGP, and is expected to announce a two-year renewal with Joan Mir soon.
Rins proved one of the paddock’s hottest properties when he stepped up to Moto2 in 2015, finishing runner-up in his debut season, and made a strong impression in his first two years in MotoGP with Suzuki – despite missing five races in his rookie year to a broken wrist.
Having troubled the podium placings in 2018, last year was his breakout year in the premier class.
The Catalan won his first grand prix in America, before beating Marc Marquez at Silverstone by just 0.013 seconds – in one of MotorGP’s all-time great races – to give Suzuki its first brace of wins in a season since 2000.
Mir ended an injury-hit debut season last year as second-best rookie, and – along with Rins – enjoyed a strong pre-season testing phase on the new GSX-RR prior to the postponement of the 2020 season.
With Suzuki forgoing established big names in favour of the new generation, it has arguably got one of the most exciting young rider line-ups for many years.
Suzuki’s creative masterplan to topple Marquez
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan is joined by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont to discuss Suzuki’s line-up.
They also cast their minds back to 2013 and to Marc Marquez’s first MotoGP win in Texas.