The ones to beat
History beckons for Mir, Rins and Suzuki in 2021
In 2020 Suzuki became shock winners in MotoGP. Now they are focusing on the triple crown of rider, team and constructor titles
Joan Mir is bidding to become the first Suzuki rider since Barry Sheene to win back-to-back titles. It is now more than four decades since Sheene ushered in a glorious period of Suzuki dominance by winning the 1976-77 crowns. It was a golden era for Suzuki and their acclaimed RG500 square-four 500cc two-strokes. Four years after the Sheene double, Italian stars Marco Lucchinelli (1981) and Franco Uncini (1982) went back-to-back for Suzuki. And Mir and Suzuki have set their sights on reprising those glory years with the celebrated GSX-RR 1000cc four-stroke.
In 2020 Mir flew in under the radar to snatch the title with a classy and calm performance in just his second season in MotoGP.
In the process he edged out, and surprised, highly touted teammate Alex Rins who was nominally Suzuki’s main man, in his fourth year aboard the GSX-RR.
The irritation of that defeat simmers with the battle for supremacy within Suzuki between the speedy Spanish pair set to be a tense contest in 2021.
The emergence of the GSX-RR as the benchmark race distance machine in MotoGP places both Mir, 23, and Rins, 25 as title contenders. Mir chasing the glory of double championships with Rins - who leads Mir three-one in Suzuki GP wins - intent on wiping away the aberration of his 2020 title defeat.
Big pressure
‘No Suzuki rider since Sheene has taken back-to-back titles’
Project Leader Shinichi Sahara admits he faces an elevated level of pressure to win back-to-back titles. Having broken a 20-year losing streak - since Kenny Roberts Junior in 2000 - Sahara knows that just winning races is no longer a pass mark for Suzuki.
Expectations have risen at Hammamatsu HQ with Mir’s title. “Yes, of course there is more pressure to win again, it is very important. Winning is always our target,” Sahara said.
“We thought in 2019 when we won two races that was OK. At that time just winning races made a difference with the thinking of top management. Everyone in Suzuki understands the importance of MotoGP. But now winning the championship is different from winning one or two races a season. Now every year we have a target to try to win the championship.”
Going one-two
Gone is Suzuki’s often conservative, under-the-radar approach of the past two decades. There is a clear ambition for Suzuki to again be perennial title contenders, rather than teasing with their potential.
Sahara boldy targets a one-two title finish in a season when the Suzuki’s corner speed agility and tyre-saving set-up will no longer be a surprise to their rivals.
“The target is very clear this time – one and two in the championship and also the teams’ title again and we should try for the constructors title,” Sahara said.
“It will be very difficult but I would like to achieve these very important targets.”
Taking racing’s Triple Crown - no pressure then?
Suzuki’s last one-two title finish was in 1981 when Lucchinelli edged Randy Mamola for the championship. But that pales against the 1976 campaign when Sheene led a Suzuki clean sweep of the championship podium ahead of Teuvo Lansivuori (second ) and Pat Hennen (third).
‘The target is very clear this time – one and two in the championship’