Team Suzuki Press Office – April 20.
Team Suzuki Ecstar have arrived on Portugal’s captivating Algarve coast for the fifth round of the season. The whole squad are heading into the weekend with their heads held high after rostrum success from Alex Rins two weeks ago in Texas, which also marked the brand’s 500th podium.
The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, located half an hour from the coastal city of Portimão, is a stunning facility known colloquially as ‘the rollercoaster’ thanks to its ever-shifting elevation changes, coupled with plenty of twists and turns. The state-of-the-art complex boasts a wide range of facilities for its visitors; from go-karting to dirt bike riding.
The track only hosted MotoGP for the first time in 2020, stepping in as the pandemic took hold and cancelled fly-away races, but the site has been enjoyed by many disciplines in its young history; including the World Superbike Championship and the International Six Days of Enduro.
Despite being fairly new to the calendar, it is an extremely popular place. Its 15 corner layout produces exciting racing year in, year out. And the Portuguese fans show up in their masses for a piece of the Algarve action.
Suzuki’s riders, Rins and Joan Mir, have had mixed results in Portimão in the past, but with this year’s GSX-RR they feel confident of a strong weekend. Last year, when the circuit hosted two GPs, Mir achieved a second and a third.
Alex Rins:
“After my podium in Texas, and my strong start to the season, I’m feeling really ready for Portugal this weekend. Our bike is solid and this track has a bit of everything, especially some fast corners and plenty of thrills. I want to come back from some bad results here in the past and continue on a good path for this first race in Europe.”
Joan Mir:
“I have some really happy memories from here last year, I was on the podium on both visits. In 2020 I didn’t finish the race, but overall I like riding here because the circuit is so exciting and it’s a real challenge for all of us. This season everybody is very competitive so I’m expecting a tough race and a lot of excitement for the passionate fans. Let’s hope for a good ride on the rollercoaster!”
Livio Suppo – Team Manager:
“We’re entering the European stage of the season now, which is an intense and crucial part of the year. We’re happy with how we’ve performed in the first four rounds, which were all quite different, but where our riders got consistent finishes. Portimão is a physical and technical circuit with plenty of things to think about and we’re looking forward to tackling it. I believe both Alex and Joan could be running at the front.”
