Team Suzuki Press Office – May 17. A special feeling is running through Team SUZUKI ECSTAR on their approach to the 2017 French GP, as the Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli will be participating in place of the injured Alex Rins. Having a local rider debut on the GSX-RR in his home GP is a further positive boost for the Team who want to get over the tough beginning to the season.
Andrea Iannone for his part will try to use his appreciation for the French track to look for a positive weekend. The crash in Jerez left him without any further points in the Championship, but the progress made in the two days of testing last week gave him more confidence for the French GP. The Bugatti circuit is also the track where the GSX-RR got its first podium in MotoGP last year, which give the team more hope because of its adaptability to the tight and technical layout.
The Le Mans circuit is a tight track dominated by first gear corners that place the emphasis on late braking and hard acceleration, whilst rear end traction is also a key area. It is the typical circuit of a ‘stop&go’ style. The first part of the circuit is used by cars in the famous Le Mans 24 hour race, and is one of the oldest European tracks still holding racing events. Last year’s third place in the GP there resulted in the first podium for Suzuki since their comeback. The track is 4.2 km long with an average width of 16 metres and with a 674 metre-long straight.
Andrea Iannone
“Le Mans is a circuit I like, so I hope I will enjoy it and, most importantly, we will be able to be competitive from the very start. It will be important for us to get some points and get back some positive momentum. Last week in Jerez we did very intense work testing many things on the GSX-RR. This gave us some important direction on what we can work on. Hopefully this will also help us to finalize a good setup in Le Mans, which is a tight track with many ‘stop&go’s.”
Sylvain Guintoli
“The test in Jerez last week was very positive for me, especially on the second day. I was able to work intensively with the tyres and get to know them a little bit better. We focused a lot on the hard tyres, likely the ones we will use in the race, and I improved on the pace quite a bit so I’m happy about that. It was really great to experience the Suzuki GSX-RR and do this testing. I have a better understanding of the bike and the tyres. That will be useful in France. Also the connection that we created with the team is very positive. We shared a lot of information and the feeling is very good. I’m really looking forward to Le Mans. The testing got rid of some of my apprehension and I feel more confident, so I can’t wait to meet all the French fans and enjoy this amazing experience.”
