John Hopkins almost back in Moto GP…
John Hopkins will take back the controls of the GSV-R during the last pre-season test in Qatar on March 13 and 14 and attain the status of "reserve driver" for the 2011 season, indicates the Suzuki Moto GP team.
John Hopkins will take back the controls of the GSV-R during the last pre-season test in Qatar on March 13 and 14 and attain the status of "reserve driver" for the 2011 season, indicates the Suzuki Moto GP team.
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Moto GP 2011 test schedule |
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Before the 2011 season (pre-season tests) |
- February 22-24: Sepang, Malaysia
- March 13-14: Losail, Qatar (night practice)
During the 2011 season (post-GP tests)
- May 2: Estoril, Portugal
- August 15: Brno, Czech Republic
The only manufacturer to enter only one machine in the premier class, Suzuki thus wishes to protect itself from a possible defection of its titular driver, Alvaro Bautista..
This scenario just happened in Malaysia, when the Spanish had to forfeit the disease due to food poisoning….
"When you have only one rider, you have to be careful and have a back-up plan in case things go wrong," confirms Paul Denning, team manager of the Suzuki team..
"We obviously hope that we don’t need him because we are doing everything we can to be successful with Alvaro and that is our priority. But we have to be present at all the races, for Suzuki, Rizla and all our other partners ".
"John will not be participating in the entire Qatar test: he will be riding to help us shoot several videos. This will give him the opportunity to do a few laps and get to know the bike and he will be there in case we have. need him ", however specifies the British team manager.
Note that Denning also leads the Crescent Suzuki team in British Superbikes … where John Hopkins will ride this year. !
For "Hopper", this possible return to the premier class arises as an unexpected second chance: after seven seasons in MotoGP, the No. 21 has tried, without real success, without ever ceasing to hope to return one day to challenge the cracks. world speed.
At 27, the native of Ramona (United States) started the Grands Prix directly in the premier category in 2002 with Yamaha. He then joined the Suzuki team for five seasons, before playing his last campaign at Kawasaki in 2008 (16th overall).
A combative and "generous" driver but suffering from a notorious lack of rigor, the American signed four podiums and a pole position in the Grands Prix. He climbed to fourth overall in 2007.
The announcement of his "return", even as a replacement rider, obviously sparked a lot of rumors about a possible entry of a second GSV-R on the MotoGP grid, via one or more wildcards in 2011.
But Paul Denning quickly dismissed this scenario which would delight both "Suzukists" and Dorna: the company which manages the rights of MotoGP in fact regularly threatens the coat of arms of Hamamatsu with economic sanctions since the decision was made public. align only one GSV-R in 2011.
"We have nothing planned for the moment. We will think about it perhaps later, but for the moment it is not our intention", concludes without much hope the team manager of Suzuki … To be continued: stay connected !
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