Suzuki deny deal for Hiroshi Aoyama came close

Suzuki has denied a deal to keep its involvement in MotoGP to two bikes while saving the Interwetten Honda squad from collapse ever come close to fruition.

The Japanese factory plans to reduce its involvement to one bike in 2011, as was first reported by MCN back in early September.

Senior management informed several team members at the recent Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang that they were free to seek alternative employment in 2011.

Meanwhile, the Interwetten Honda squad has been fighting a battle for survival having failed to find sufficient financial backing to continue after just one season in the premier class.

One option considered was for Suzuki to lease the GSV-R machine it planned to axe to Hiroshi Aoyama’s squad.

But factory team chief Paul Denning told MCN: “That was a potential consideration but I don’t think either commercially or system wise it was going to be something that adds up.

“Ultimately for the championship for Dorna to swap one bike for another doesn’t really have the same benefit as a two-rider factory team. It wasn’t under serious consideration.”

As a result of the collapse of the Interwetten Honda squad, former world 250GP champion Aoyama will move to join Marco Simoncelli in the San Carlo Gresini Honda squad.