The Hamamatsu brand skipped a physical launch event this year to post a YouTube video showing the GSX RR bike in the 2019 colors alongside racers Alex Rins and Joan Mir.
The new paintwork hardly differs from the 2018 variant, apart from slightly larger yellow and gray elements on the front fairing and on the side of the bike.
Former Moto3 champion Mir replaces Andrea Iannone at Suzuki after a single season in Moto2, while Rins, who finished his 2018 season with three podiums in the last four races, is entering his third year with the team.
Rins is chasing his first premier class win after finishing second three times last year. Since the triumph of Maverick Vinales in 2016 at Silverstone, the team itself has remained without a win.
“The first goal is to develop a competitive, race-winning bike,” said Rins. “We always have to gain experience, but I think we are ready to win now.
“I think we had a good package with the previous bike. We managed to build a very good machine and by 2019 we tried to develop a bike that was improved a bit in all aspects: in terms of Braking, accelerating and top speed. “”
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Meanwhile, I am following in the footsteps of Vinales and Rins to secure a place at Suzuki after just a year in the intermediate class and will try to make the same big impression as his compatriots in 2015 and 17.
“To be realistic, this year’s goal is to improve gradually, start with a good performance in Qatar and end the year to improve race after race,” said Mir.
“I have to adapt to the bike, the team and the category and start closing the gap with the riders in the front. That is the most important thing.”
The 21-year-old’s crew chief for his debut campaign will be Francesco Carchedi, who worked with Karel Abraham on the Angel Nieto team last year, while Rins will stay with Jose Manuel Cazeaux in 2019.
Alex Rins, Team Suzuki MotoGP, Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Photo by: Suzuki