Suzuki’s rise from Zero to hero
How the smallest Japanese manufacturer went from making up the numbers to winning motorcycle racing’s highest prize in just six years
It was an embarrassing departure for Suzuki at the end of 2011 who seemingly had no answer to the technological warfare and escalating budgets of MotoGP. A key battle ground was unfettered electronics, hardware and software, developed by squadrons of computer boffins. The V4 engined GSV-R - with Suzuki outsourcing hardware and software to Mitsubishi - was being battered mercilessly by Honda, Ducati and Yamaha.
In 2011 Suzuki were easy beats. They entered a single bike for Alvaro Bautista who finished an anonymous 13th in the championship.
Despite being deeply wounded and finishing fourth, and last, in the Constructors’ standings, Suzuki declared they would be back to fight in MotoGP again.
Perfect timing
The retreat was humiliating but the timing was near perfect. As Suzuki planned a new project, widely acclaimed team manager Davide Brivio came onto the market. Brivio had been instrumental in Valentino Rossi’s switch from Honda to Yamaha in 2004 and then overseeing four YZR-M1 world titles for Yamaha and Rossi. “Until the end of 2010 I was team manager at Yamaha and when Valentino left all the people close to him also departed, it was the end of an era,” Brivio said.
“Vale asked me to work for him personally, on his contracts and business. It was an exciting period. “But I was working for Valentino, he was in a team, and if I saw something that could be better there was nothing I could do. I missed this job - organising a team, selecting riders and staff and making decisions to improve.”
Clean sheet
Suzuki came calling with a clean sheet of paper, although the script took some fine tuning.
“The opportunity to start from zero was perfect, to create something special,” Brivio said.
“I put my ideas on the table with Suzuki management and perhaps some of those looked a little crazy to them. But I said my ambition was to win a championship with Suzuki knowing it would be difficult.” Importantly Brivio seamlessly integrated Hamamatsu HQ’s engineering expertise with an Italian based race operation and multi-national staff. “Suzuki were very open to exchanging ideas with the team. Compared to other Japanese factories I think they are prepared to listen,” Brivio said.
“The Japanese engineers are excellent at designing and building the bike and then at the circuit