After four dry-weather podium finishes split between their two riders Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone, Suzuki is on the brink of losing its concession-team privileges, should either finish in the top three again.
A system totting up points – one each for three third places so far, and two for Rins’s career-best second at Assen – leaves the factory team one short of the total of six, which will change its status.
Rins, German MotoGP 2018
Concessions are granted to new manufacturers in the series, and those who have not had a dry-weather win in the past five years. Suzuki were granted a special exception by favour of the other manufacturers, in spite of Maverick Vinales’s lone win in 2016.
Iannone, German MotoGP 2018
At the next podium, Suzuki will immediately lose their free testing privileges. Factory teams are limited to five days of testing, and although test riders are permitted, they are subject to an allocation of 120 tyres per full-time rider per season.
Starting next season, the engine allocation will drop from nine to seven, and engine development will be frozen, bringing them into line with Honda, Yamaha and Ducati.
Rins, German MotoGP 2018
By Michael Scott
Photos Gold n Goose