Suppo: Suzuki a kind of compromise between Ducati and Honda

Announced as Suzuki's new MotoGP team manager in the short break between the Mandalika test and this weekend's Qatar season-opener, Livio Suppo met with the media on Thursday to talk in detail about his return to the paddock.

The Italian, 57, oversaw MotoGP titles for both Ducati and Honda before leaving the sport at the end of 2017.

Suppo now makes a comeback with Suzuki, who lost previous team manager Davide Brivio to F1 shortly after winning the 2020 title with Joan Mir, then suffered a winless 2021 before going in pursuit of a replacement.

Brivio himself was long rumoured to be in contention to return, but when he was reconfirmed with Alpine, Suzuki project leader Shinichi Sahara quickly concluded a deal with Suppo.

"I told Sahara-san, I think if there is any chance of Davide coming back, I respect the job he has done with this team," Suppo said. "Because they started from zero when Suzuki re-joined MotoGP and Davide did everything. Then winning the title in 2020.

"I think it was fair to say if Davide was in the game, I don’t want to be in the game because I have respect for what Davide has done.

"Then suddenly two weeks ago Sahara-san called me and said 'so, we are ready to speak'. Then I realised that something happened, I said 'send me a proposal 'and the day after I replied saying 'we have a deal'. It didn't take too much to think about. I was excited.

"The team is there, the bike is there, the riders are there. The atmosphere is very good and I think again this is thanks to the job that Davide has done. So my target is to try and keep at least this level of harmony and see if there is something in my experience I can bring to the team.

"I've known Sahara-san for a long time, even before Suzuki left MotoGP after the 800 era, because he was there in the MSMA when I was in Ducati. So I know a little bit his character. I know very well Manuel Cazeaux, the chief technician of Alex Rins, because we worked together in Ducati and had a good relationship with him and I trust him, I know he's a guy I like a lot.

"The details make a difference. It won't be a revolution. It's not that because I'm here Suzuki will instantly be stronger. It's impossible. But hopefully it will be easier for everybody to work in Suzuki. This is my target."

Suppo on Suzuki riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins:

"I've always been lucky in my career in MotoGP because I've always worked with super strong riders since the beginning with Troy and Loris at Ducati. I think Joan and Alex are two of the strongest riders out there.

"The machine is also good for sure. They won the title two years ago and without the crash for Alex at Jerez probably could have been possible to do a one-two for Suzuki in 2020.

"As I think Sahara-san said, when you have two strong riders like Joan and Alex the priority is to keep them on board, because it's not easy to replace them.

"But on the other side, maybe this is because I'm getting older, if the MotoGP paddock could come back to what we did 15-20 years ago and wait until a little bit longer in the season to take any decisions this could be good for the sport.

"I should be the last one to say this because I did a move back in 2010, for 2011 with Casey [to move from Ducati to Honda] in Jerez. So I should shut up!

"But honestly speaking I think it also depends on the condition. For example I totally understand why Ducati wanted to renew Pecco because they are happy and if you feel if you renew now you give him a good feeling for the future, it's okay. And it could be the same for us, why not.

"But on the other side I think for the team, company and riders to wait a few more races is always better in my opinion."

Suppo on Suzuki, Ducati and Honda:

"The first feeling is that Suzuki is kind of a compromise between Ducati and Honda, the two teams I've been working with. Japanese but with a lot of Italian attitude. The first feeling is a very good compromise between a full Italian company and full Japanese company like Honda."

Suppo on working with a smaller budget than at Honda, Ducati:

"I think one of the best moves by Dorna in the last 20 years has been to be able to change the rules step-by-step to reduce the costs. Dorna and MSMA together. And for example the fact that the displacement is the same since 2012, 1000cc, is a big help for cost reduction.

"The fact that now you cannot spend a lot of money on electronics because you have the single software is again a good point. So I think budget wise, from a technical point of view, I think Suzuki has the resources to build a very good bike as it's proven in the last few years.

"Rider wise, I think the Suzuki budget is enough to do a good job - again it's proven. And on the other side if you look at Ducati I think the last riders the budget was probably less than one rider of Ducati the year before and still the results were very good.

"Also as was proven with Filippo [Prezioso] in 2007, probably in F1 the one with a lot more money has a lot more possibility to win. In MotoGP, thank God, it's still not like that because anything can happen and there is such a small gap between a lot of riders.

"The level of the riders and machines is very close, which means a big company like Honda or the smallest budget as far as I'm concerned from outside should be Aprilia, they still can be competitive and this us very good for the sport."

Suppo on a satellite Suzuki team:

"I still need to speak to Sahara-san about this. I think since many years Carmelo's idea was to have six manufacturers with four bikes each. To do that you need six manufacturers that are ready to provide bikes and they need to be competitive.

"If you asked a satellite team three years ago to race with a not competitive manufacturer, it is very difficult. I think nowadays we are in a technical situation where it is more possible to do."

Suppo on eight Ducatis:

"First of all we need to be happy that we have 24 bikes that are more-or-less all competitive. Because a one-year-old competitive machine remains a competitive machine.

"In my opinion for a rookie or a young rider sometimes it's better to have a machine that is already developed, especially at the beginning of a season where the gap is smaller and you might even feel better [on the old bike].

"I think technical speaking we are in a condition where it should be possible to have more mixed bikes.

"But anyway eight Ducatis on track, of course the top speed of Ducati is very strong and the riders are worried about that. Because if you have a problem qualifying, start behind and there are a lot of Ducatis in front, it's very difficult.

"On the other side, I think it's better to have eight Ducatis than too many machines that are not competitive."

Suppo on controlling MotoGP bike performance:

"I think we need to find a compromise to reduce the performance. Because if you look when MotoGP was born, exactly 20 years ago in 2002, Ducati joined in 2003, if I think about that actual machine the [performance] gap is huge.

"That's normal because it's been 20 years of evolution. But the circuits are the same and you cannot pretend to have more run-off than now.

"One-second a lap slower, if it is for everybody, is not a problem for the show. So I think the evolution of the sport must keep in consideration a kind of gap for the pure performance, this is my personal opinion."

Suppo on how his arrival will help Sahara:

"Sahara-san is an engineer. As far as I understood last year the development of the new [ride height] system was a little bit slow. I believe that with Sahara-san who can maybe now spend more time in the office it can speed up the process of developing the bike. I hope."

Suppo on connecting a MotoGP race team with the factory:

"This kind of job is not only for a Japanese company because I well remember when I was in Ducati I was anyway a kind of link between Filippo Preziosi that at that time was the technical director of Ducati and because of his physical condition was not able to come to all the races.

"I'm not an engineer, but if you live with the team and you go back to the office or are in contact with the technical director, it is part of the job of the team manager to try to explain what is the problem.

"For a chief engineer on track at Ducati, Filippo was the big boss because he was the technical director of Ducati. For me, Filippo was my boss but I'm an engineer so I feel less like I can't tell him something. I think this is a part of the job that is important too."

Suppo on contract length:

"How many years? Enough. Let's say it's not a one-year contract anyway because I think when you start in a job like this one year is not enough.

"We didn’t speak last year because Sahara-san wanted to try one year without a team manager."

Suppo on keeping his straight-talking style:

"Honestly, I've never really been not politically correct. Sometimes if I think something I say it. The biggest problem I have is if I don’t like something you can read in my face. It's a minus but could also be a plus. Because at least you know what you have in front of you. I'm 57 now, I don’t think I will change my character now, sorry!"

Suppo on why Suzuki waiting a year to replace Brivio was better:

"Probably it has been a good decision because if I joined immediately after Davide left it probably wouldn't have been the same for me or the team. So maybe one season without a team manager is good to do a next step.

"The team can run even without a team manager, but with a good team manager the team can run better… I think Suzuki realised last year that they missed a team manager and that's why I think after one year is better for everybody.

"I think like this is more clear that Davide's style was that one, without Davide was more difficult and now see what happens with this not politically correct guy!"