Suzuki MotoGP

Infobox Grand Prix motorcycle team
Short_name = Suzuki MotoGP

Last_season = 2008
Long_name = Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
Base = flagicon|England Verwood, England
Principal = Paul Denning
Riders = 7 Chris Vermeulen
65 Loris Capirossi
Motorcycle = Suzuki GSV-R
Tyres = Bridgestone
Riders_champ= 5
1976 Barry Sheene
1977 Barry Sheene
1982 Franco Uncini
1993 Kevin Schwantz
2000 Kenny Roberts, Jr.

Suzuki MotoGP is the official factory team of Suzuki in the MotoGP World Championship. The team currently compete under the name Rizla Suzuki MotoGP.

History

Suzuki first entered a works team in the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship in MGP|1974 with riders Barry Sheene and Jack Findlay riding the Suzuki RG500. A 2nd-place finish by Sheene in the opening round was the best result of the season. The team's first victory came in MGP|1975, a pole-to-finish win by Barry Sheene at the Dutch TT. Sheene finished the season 6th overall with 2 wins.

Barry Sheene won the rider's championship in MGP|1976 with a total of five wins. Sheene's second 500cc rider's championship came in MGP|1977 with six wins. Teammate Steve Parrish was fifth.

In MGP|1978 using the new Suzuki RGA, Sheene with 2 wins finishes 2nd in the championship behind Kenny Roberts. Team mate Wil Hartog also with 2 wins was 4th overall. Riding the new Suzuki RGB Virginio Ferrari finished 2nd Barry Sheene 3rd and Wil Hartog 4th in the MGP| 1979 championship again behind Yamaha rider Kenny Roberts.

Randy Mamola joined Suzuki in MGP|1980. While Yamaha rider Kenny Roberts won his third title, Suzuki riders Mamola was 2nd, and Marco Lucchinelli 3rd. Marco Lucchinelli become the 500cc World Champion in MGP|1981 riding the new Suzuki RG-Gamma.

Marco Lucchinelli left Suzuki to join Honda in MGP|1982. He was replaced by Franco Uncini who went on to win the World Championship with five wins. Uncini was severely injured at the Assen TT in MGP|1983 and was not able to defend his title. Suzuki withdraw works support at the end of the season.

After three year away Suzuki returned in MGP|1987 with factory supported entries, while not a full time return, riders Takumi Itoh and Kevin Schwantz took some good results. Suzuki made a full return in MGP|1988, Kevin Schwantz finished 8th for the season with two wins and teammate Rob McElnea finished the season tenth.

With a total of six wins Schwantz is ranked fourth for the MGP| 1989 season. In MGP|1990 he is 2nd with five wins while teammate Niall Mackenzieis fourth. Another five wins see Schwantz finishing 3rd in MGP|1991. Doug Chandler is Schwantz's new teammate for MGP|1992. Schwantz takes one win and finishes the season fourth followed by Chandler at fifth.

Schwantz wins a long-awaited World Championship in MGP|1993 with four race wins. Newly joined Alex Barros also scores a win and finishes sixth overall.

In MGP|1994 Kevin Schwantz is fourth with 2 wins, Alex Barros is eighth. Early in the MGP|1995 season, Schwantz decided to retire from motorcycle competition. The other Suzuki rider Daryl Beattie finished the season 2nd with two race wins.

Scott Russell joined Daryl Beattie in MGP|1996. Russell finished the season sixth while Beattie suffered serious injuries pre-season and did not have his previous form. he finished 18th.

Daryl Beattie is joined by Anthony Gobert in MGP|1997. Beattie finishes the season eleventh and Gobert fifteenth. A 5th-place finish by Beattie is the team's best result of the season.

Suzuki entered an all Japanese riders lineup in MGP|1998 with Nobuatsu Aoki and Katsuaki Fujiwara. Fujiwara however is injured during pre-season tests and Aoki was left alone. he finished 9th for the season with a best result of 4th place.

New rider Kenny Roberts, Jr. joined Nobuatsu Aoki in MGP|1999. Roberts Jr. took Suzuki's first win in four years since 1995 and won four races finishing 2nd in the championship. Aoki was thirteen.

Kenny Roberts, Jr. became World Champion in MGP|2000 with a total of four victories, Aoki was tenth overall

Sete Gibernau joined Kenny Roberts, Jr. riding the Suzuki RGV500. Gibernau finished ninth overall win a race win and Roberts Jr. eleventh.

In MGP|2002, the debut year of the new MotoGP class, Kenny Roberts, Jr. and Sete Gibernau ride the new Suzuki GSV-R four-stroke motorcycle. The team's best result is a 3rd-place podium finish by Roberts Jr. at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Roberts Jr. finished ninth and Gibernau sixteenth.

John Hopkins joined Kenny Roberts, Jr. in MGP|2003. John Hopkins comes in 7th at the Spanish GP. However, with setbacks including Kenny Roberts Jr. missed three races due to a crash in the Italian Grand Prix and finished the season 19th, Hopkins finished 17th.

The rider line-up remained the same for MGP|2004 while Bridgestone replaced Michelin as the team's tyre supplier. Hopkins finished the season at 16th and Roberts Jr. at 18th.

Once again the rider line-up remained the same for MGP|2005. Roberts Jr. took a 2nd place podium-finish in the wet British Grand Prix but finished the season 13th. Hopkins finished 14th for the season.

Chris Vermeulen joined John Hopkins in MGP|2006. Hopkins finished the season in tenth while Vermeulen finished eleventh with a 2nd place podium-finish at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix.

Both riders stayed with the team in MGP|2007 and raced the new 800cc Suzuki GSV-R. Chris Vermeulen took Suzuki's first win since the advent of four-stroke regulations and finished the season sixth overall. John Hopkins finished fourth with four podium finishes.

For 2008, Chris Vermeulen is joined by Loris Capirossi as the rider lineup.

External links

* [http://www.suzuki-motogp.com suzuki-motogp.com] Official website