Suzuki’s conservative choice for Mir . replacement
Following the injury of Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir at the Red Bull Ring on August 21, Joan Mir was advised to rest for 15 days to allow the bone and ligament damage in his right ankle to heal. This means he will miss the upcoming San Marino Grand Prix, and Suzuki has already begun discussing possible alternatives to that event.
Many had hoped that Suzuki would do something bold and for a young shooter but instead, Suzuki head Kazuki Watanabe will race Mir’s GSX-RR in Italy.
The 31-year-old Japanese racer is a successful member of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT), where he acts as a reserve driver but is also part of the starting lineup, including at the Suzuka race. The legendary 8 Hours is just a few weeks away. before that, where he finished on the podium in a two-driver lineup, adding to his multiple Top 5 finishes at the event.
Watanabe also competed in the GSX-R1000R in the all-Japan road racing series for Yukio Kagayama’s team, Yoshimura Suzuki RideWin. He has enjoyed string success in recent years, and is currently third in the championship standings.
Kazuki Watanabe
“First of all, I would like to wish Joan a speedy recovery from the injury he suffered, he is a great racer to follow and I hope he gets back on track soon. I was really happy when I got the call about the substitution in Misano, it will be great to try out the MotoGP around that track. I will do my best to perform well and give something back to the team that gave me this opportunity. “
Livio Suppo – Team Manager
“We’re sorry that Joan won’t be able to race in Misano and we wish him a speedy recovery! Meanwhile, we are delighted to welcome Kazuki Watanabe to our team, he has a lot of experience with Suzuki and he is making a strong season together in the All Japan series. She also finished third at Suzuka 8 hours just a few weeks ago. GSX-RR will be a very different challenge, but we will do our best for Watanabe-san so he can get the most out of this experience.! “
