MotoGP: Bautista Departs Rizla Suzuki

2012 MotoGP

After two years as the sole Rizla Suzuki rider, MotoGP pilot Alvaro Bautista is parting ways with the team.

The team “regretfully” announced the departure of Bautista, bidding him farewell in his future endeavors, which were not reported.

Bautista, the 2006 125cc Champion who made his debut on the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R at the 2010 MotoGP season opener in Qatar, had finished 13th overall in the MotoGP Championship in 2010 and 2011. His best finish of 2011 was fifth at Silverstone, and in 2010 his best finishes was a pair of fifths – one in Malaysia, the other in Catalunya.

Rizla Suzuki said the “squad would like to thank him for the two years of hard work, loyalty and commitment that he has given the team.”

Alvaro Bautista says: “I am very sad to be leaving Suzuki after the two great years that I have had here. It has been a great team to work in and I have learned a lot of things from everyone in the team. It was a fantastic experience working with an English/Japanese team and we have become like a big family, except we have never had any arguments and no-one falls out with each other!

“I want to thank everybody personally for the last two years, sometimes it has been difficult, but nobody ever gave up and I felt like I always had their full support and commitment. I don’t feel like I am leaving a team, but a group of friends that I hope I will know for a long time.

“I want to say a special thank-you to Tom, Paul, Ken san and Sahara san, and wish them and the rest of the team all the best for the future.”

Although nothing has been confirmed about who will ride for Suzuki in 2012, the man who piloted the GSV-R at the traditional post-season Valencia MotoGP tests was former Pramac Racing Ducati’s Randy de Puniet. Stay clicked to UltimateMotorCycling.com for the latest updates.

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