Suzuki wants to lose MotoGP concessions 'as soon as possible'
The Suzuki MotoGP team wants to lose its concessions "as soon as possible", according to team boss Davide Brivio


After a 2017 season in which it failed to score a podium finish, Suzuki was given back the technical concessions it lost after its breakthrough 2016 campaign that included a race win for Maverick Vinales.
These include the right to carry out unlimited testing, unrestricted engine development and the opportunity to run a wildcard rider in six events rather than the usual three.
However, an upturn in form in 2018 means that Suzuki is on the cusp of losing these benefits again.
So far the team has scored four podiums this year, meaning one more top-three finish for either rider would strip Suzuki of its concessions, which Brivio says would be "good news" for the squad.
"This first part of the season has been very positive and encouraging, and now we have to work even harder in order to finish the season in the best possible way," said Brivio.
"Our target is to lose concessions as soon as possible. We need one more podium to lose them, and that will mean that we've continued doing the right things and being on the podium regularly, and this will be good news for Suzuki.
"In the meantime in Japan they are working pretty hard in the development of the GSX-RR bike.
"In Assen we already introduced a new evolution engine that works well. And in Mugello we tried a carbon reinforced chassis.
"So our racing department continue working, and let's see in the next tests in Brno or Aragon if we are able to try some more new parts to make our package even stronger."
Brivio praised Rins and Iannone for their role in developing the 2018 version of the GSX-RR, saying the process of recovering from a tough 2017 campaign began in the closing races of last year.
"We started working on this task not just this winter, but actually it was something we started during the last races of last year when we found the way to be more consistent in terms of performance and being in the top six in the latest races," he explained.
"Then, during last winter, we really did a good job, especially with Alex, who was growing up and improving his performance, so that was very important in terms of developing.
"He had the opportunity of selecting different options during the winter and this made him more mature and stronger.
"At the same time Andrea also improved his feeling with the bike and his performance, and now we have two competitive riders challenging each other and pushing each other."

Marc Marquez/Jorge Lorenzo 2019 MotoGP pair 'a challenge' - Honda
Johann Zarco: Better to ignore factory Yamaha gains amid slump in form

Latest news
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's Portugal win wasn't only vital for his MotoGP title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
How a MotoGP legend is preparing for an unexpected comeback at Goodwood
Wayne Rainey, who’s paralysed from the chest down, will ride his 1992 500cc world championship-winning bike again at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The American motorcycle legend explains how he's preparing to thrill on his first visit to the famed hillclimb