Both Suzuki riders struggle with tyre grip at Qatar race – Is found engine power the reason? – Why Joan Mir doesn’t think so
Suzuki were among the favourites at the 2022 MotoGP season opener at the Losail Circuit in Qatar. After a good start from the third row, Joan Mir found himself in the leading group in fourth place in the early stages. But then things went backwards.
Mir eventually finished sixth. His teammate Alex Rins finished seventh. “It was a disappointing race,” said former world champion Mir. “I had expected more. The start was good and I enjoyed the first laps.”
“But then I got problems with the grip on the rear wheel. I didn’t expect that because normally we are good in that area. I always pay a lot of attention to it. But this time the grip never came. We need to understand that.”
“I didn’t want to overtake more riders in the first laps so the tyre wouldn’t be too stressed. In turn 10 I saw some riders with smoking tyres and I thought they will fall back at the end. That was too optimistic.”
The GSX-RR’s new engine has a bit more power compared to the past two years. Suzuki has also become much faster on the straights in conjunction with the ride-height system.
Competitor Johann Zarco noticed in comparison to his Ducati: “They accelerate very strongly in third and fourth gear. They might not have the same power as us in sixth gear. But because they are strong in the lower gears, they can keep the speed. “
Does this extra power cause the rear tyre to burn up too quickly over the race distance? “No, I don’t think that’s the reason,” says Mir. “The race was much faster than last year. That means the bike has got better.”
“But I trust my team. We have to work on the electronics and understand the situation. It was only the first race. I am not worried because everything will get better. I think we have more to say as a team. “
Alex Rins struggles with front tyre
While Mir struggled with rear grip, Rins got into trouble with the front tyre. Both Suzuki riders had started the race on the soft front tyre and the medium rear tyre
“It was strange,” sighed Rins. “In the first half of the race I struggled to overtake other riders. After overtaking Martin, I wanted to catch Mir. But I got big problems with the front tyre. That has never happened before.”
“I don’t know if the front tyre was too soft for us. I don’t know what the problem was. The braking stability was okay, but in lean angles the front wheel threatened to fold in. The temperature and pressure were okay.”
According to Rins, the harder front tyre would not have been an option. As he struggled to hold the lines and was in danger of crashing in lean angles, he opted for the safe option and cut back on risk.
“That’s why I decided to finish the race and not risk a crash. There are still 20 races to come. Now we have to analyse it carefully. I am not happy, but I am not sad either. I managed the situation and didn’t crash,” Rins reflects on his numerous crashes last year.
