How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team

On 2 May last year, what was to be MotoGP's biggest news story of the year was announced: Suzuki pulled the plug on its factory entry and would not compete in 2023. The news fell like a bombshell in the paddock, especially in the ranks of the Japanese team. Its members - about 50 or so - learned of the surprising decision that same day, at the end of the official test after the Spanish Grand Prix held at Jerez.

With a five-year contract to remain in the world championship until 2026, Suzuki said goodbye to MotoGP before even a third of the first year of its commitment with series promoter Dorna had been completed. This manoeuvre put the company in a difficult position, its team members even more so. The blow left most in a state of shock, leaving them with the uncertainty of not knowing what was going to happen with their future.

"We have two paths," said Alex Rins after the news was made official a few days later. "To collapse and be all day thinking that we have no bike for next year, or to succeed, to keep pushing, to continue with our heads held high, with the team more united than ever.

"And looking at my mechanics, it is the latter path that they have taken, and it is the one I am going to take. Because although they have nothing for next year, they are more motivated than ever and we will show Suzuki that they have made a mistake."

Rins, who from that moment onwards chained a series of consecutive crashes that left him out of the fight for the title, was aware that "surely" he was not going to be short of work. "But," lamented the Catalan, knowing that relocating 550 people in the paddock was not going to be an easy task, "many families depend on Suzuki and now people are in shock."

Naturally, 2020 world champion Joan Mir - who ended a 20-year title drought for Suzuki - also regretted the decision: "We have given an exemplary image. Of union, of results. Everyone knows the people who work in this team and how special this team is precisely because of its people."

Both Mir and Rins couldn't bring any of their crews with them to Honda

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Both Mir and Rins found rides for 2023 with Honda, the former going to the factory squad alongside Marc Marquez and the latter to LCR to replace Gresini-bound Alex Marquez. But in mid-June, five weeks after the bombshell was known, doubts hung over the staff of the Hamamatsu brand.

"It's a difficult situation, I've said it from the first moment," complained Mir. "But it still is and it's going to be until the last race. There is still the uncertainty of many people in the team who do not know where they will go next year, I do not know if anyone knows. We have not received any explanation from Suzuki, only the statement that everyone could read, I'm still waiting for an explanation."

Although both Rins and Mir tried, in their negotiations with Honda, to take a member of Suzuki, neither succeeded.

"I'm happy that more or less everyone has found their place, which wasn't easy" Alex Rins

"We have made a very good family here at Suzuki and I would like to take some of the guys," explained Rins at the end of June, when his signing with LCR had been agreed but was not yet official. "But I also put myself in the place of the other team, and I understand that they do not want to break a working group. In principle, what we have on the table is that they won't let me take anyone from Suzuki, but I also understand that."

Precisely, Rins' chief mechanic, Manu Cazeaux, was the first Suzuki member to find a job for 2023, signed by Aprilia to become Maverick Vinales' technical manager in 2023. "I tried to take him with me to my new team, but they wouldn't let me," Rins revealed.

Already in mid-August, after the summer break, Mir was still unable to make public his move to Honda, but he did admit that he would not be able to take anyone of his entourage with him to Suzuki. "I don't want to destroy the team I'm going to," he said at the time.

Although the months were long and news of new destinations for members of the Suzuki team were in dribs and drabs, in the end, both the human and professional quality of the group prevailed. Practically all the members who worked with Suzuki in 2022 will remain in the paddock this year.

Suzuki's "family" atmosphere will be missed by MotoGP in 2023

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

"Throughout these six years, all the members of Suzuki were more than just workers," explained Rins on Motorsport.com's Spanish language podcast this week. "It's true that the riders, we had it a little easier to find work. But for these 50 people it was complicated.

"Still, there have been people who have chosen not to stay in the championship and do other things. Like Kevin [Loussouarn], the guy who was in charge of my wheels and who is a real crack. He has decided to pursue his life outside the world championship. But I'm happy that more or less everyone has found their place, which wasn't easy."

Of all the Suzuki staff, only one had a contract beyond 31 December 2022: Livio Suppo, the team manager. The Italian will remain linked to the manufacturer to oversee the liquidation of all material and contracts with suppliers. Suppo will be assisted by Roberto Brivio - brother of Davide, the former team manager. He will remain in the rented warehouse in Cambiago, just outside Monza and very close to Yamaha's headquarters in Gerno di Lesmo, until everything is dismantled.

Of the remainder, six members who are all Japanese, will continue to work at Suzuki Motor Corporation in Hamamatsu. These include the project leader, Shinichi Sahara, who is moving to the marine engine division, and Ken Kawauchi, the technical director.

In addition to the two riders, his closest colleagues have found a good professional outlet. In his arrival at Aprilia, Cazeaux has taken three of his mechanics with him. Frankie Carchedi, responsible for Mir's side of the garage, has recruited one engineer for Gresini and will take care of Fabio Di Giannantonio.

KTM has signed two other pairs of engineers; three for the parent team and one for Tech3 GasGas. Yamaha and VR46 have also hired one engineer each, as well as mechanics and cooks.

Suzuki personnel's 2023 roles:

Team member	Role	New role
Shinichi Sahara	Suzuki MotoGP Project Leader	Suzuki Motor Company
Ken Kawauchi	Technical Director	SMC
Atsushi Kawasaki	Chassis Engineer	SMC
Yuta Shimabukuro	Data Engineer (Rins)	GasGas Tech3 Engineer
Masahiro Yamada	Performance engineer	SMC
Sadayuki Tsujimura	Performance Engineer	SMC
Joan Mir	Rider	Repsol Honda
Alex Rins	Rider	LCR Honda
Mitia Dotta	Team Coordinator	Aprilia Team Coordinator
Frankie Carchedi	Track Engineer Joan Mir	Gresini (Fabio Di Giannantonio) Track Engineer
Claudio Rainato	Data engineer (Mir)	VR46 Engineer
Jacques Roca	Mechanic (Mir)	VR46 Mechanic (Luca Marini)
Marco Rosa Gastaldo	Mechanic (Mir)	Gresini Mechanic
Tsutomu Matsugano	Mechanic (Mir)	Moto2 Team America Mechanic
Fernando Mendez	Mechanic (Mir)	Aprilia RNF Mechanic (Raul Fernandez)
Manuel Cazeaux	Track Engineer Alex Rins	Aprilia Track Engineer (Maverick Vinales)
Davide Manfredi	Mechanic (Rins)	Aprilia Mechanic (Vinales)
Tiziano Verniani	Mechanic (Rins)	Pramac Mechanic (Johann Zarco)
Paco Nogueira	Mechanic (Rins)	Aprilia RNF Mechanic (Raul Fernandez)
Jordi Melendo	Spare Parts Coordinator	GasGas Tech3 Spare Parts Coordinator
Francesco Munzone	Moto2 Performance Engineer	MV Agusta Track Engineer
Nicolas Piantoni	Performance Engineer	KTM Engineer
Matteo Gaio	Performance Engineer	KTM Engineer
Giorgio Ripoli	Performance Engineer	KTM Engineer
Tom O'Kane	Performance Engineer	Yamaha Engineer
Mattia Bonfanti	Chef Hospitality	Aprilia RNF Cook
Dario Decio	Hospitality Coordinator	VR46 Hospitality Coordinator
Alessio Armigeri	Cook Hospitality	Yamaha Cook
Akira Yamajuku	Mechanic	SMC
Livio Suppo	Team Manager	Contract until the end of 2023
Roberto Brivio	Coordinator	Assisting with liquidation

Former team manager Livio Suppo will remain under Suzuki's employ this year while the team's assets are sold

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images