Ecstar Suzuki will lose their MotoGP concessions at the end of this season after Andrea Iannone’s podium at Aragon put them over the points threshold which removes their rights to unlimited engine development and testing.
Iannone took a couple of podiums earlier in the season and his last, added to the second placed team-mate Alex Rins bagged at Assen, means that only Aprilia and KTM are completely unchained. It doesn’t worry Rins, who says the team are heading in the right direction with development.
“Not happy and not worried, normal. For sure this season in Assen they bring a modification on the engine with two or three more km/h on the straight, but the basic engine was the same,” said Rins.
Outgoing rider Iannone, who will be replaced with wunderkind Joan Mir for 2019, chose the engine for 2017 on his own as Rins was injured and it proved to be the wrong option. Rins will be instrumental in selecting the motor for 2019 before it is sealed for next season.
"We’ve now lost the concessions, and it’s a good sign because it shows we’ve become much more competitive," said team manager Davide Brivio.