Suzuki will deploy three motorcycles in Motegi! Team’s test rider Takuya Cuda to ride wild card in MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix

At the end of September, Suzuki will make its last MotoGP appearance in front of its home crowd at the Japanese Grand Prix. To thank the fans for their long-standing support, the team has decided to send its Japanese test rider Takuya Cuda to Motegi.

Suzuki shocked the MotoGP world in May (and then officially in July) when it announced its retirement from the sport after only seven years of participation in the royal cubature. Unfortunately, the Japanese will lose one of the three marques in the series starting next season.

In September’s Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuki will bid farewell to all its home fans who choose to come to the track in Motegi.

However, the team has decided to field three motorcycles for the occasion. Including the home team’s Takuya Cuda, who will take part in the grand prix alongside Joan Miró and Álex Rins as a wild card.

Since Suzuki’s return to MotoGP in 2015, Cuda has contributed his wealth of experience to the bike’s development. Together with another test rider, Sylvain Guintoli, they have contributed to the team’s biggest success in 2020. Back then, Spaniard Mir became World Champion among the riders in a coronavirus-influenced season.

“First of all, I want to thank Suzuki for this opportunity. Over the years I have been involved as a test rider in the development of the bike. Now I’m excited to race in Motegi in front of the Japanese fans,” Cuda said in a team statement.

However, this is not the first appearance in a grand prix for the 39-year-old Cuda, who has recorded several podium finishes in the famous Suzuka eight-hour race. In 2017, the Japanese showed up at the Spanish Grand Prix as a replacement for the injured Álex Rins.

Sources: Suzuki Ecstar, Autosport