Despite total silence from the Japanese Suzuki World Rally Team since their retirement in December 2008, Estonian driver Urmo Aava states in an interview that Suzuki may be back in the WRC already in 2011. These rumours conforms well with the statements made by Suzuki in the time before their retirement, where they said that they could take a sabbatical to develop a Super2000 from their WRC spec car. Aava himself has quite good connections into the Suzuki team after being one of their junior drivers for a long time, and according to RallyBuzz he also did a test with the team recently in Sardinia. Aava states:
- I have a good relationship with the Suzuki team from driving for them in the JWRC. I am hoping to get to test their S2000 car sometime in the next year and maybe I can do some rallies with them at the end of 2010 season.
They (Suzuki WRT) are currently bulding an S2000 car but I can’t say anymore. For the 2011 season they will probably do a full WRC programme.
Of course I have to bring my own “money” to this project but if we compare this cost to the current amount of money required (for a Stobart or Citroen deal) then it’s much cheaper.
So, what do I think? Well, it very much makes sense. Suzuki have been talking for a long time about a Super2000 car, but most important it makes sense considering costs. The financial crisis over the world is expected to go up in a few years time, which would make both car makes and sponsors more interested in sport again – and a S2000 is way cheaper to build and run than a WRC car. That makes it cheaper for Suzuki, but most important it makes it more likely to be a real consumer market for the car – such as Urmo Aava.
Given all this, my guess is that the rumour is true. The car is probably under development, and I guess an announcement will be made this autumn or perhaps during the first half of next year. Maybe Suzuki will run a true works team, but more sure is that they will sell the cars to privateers.
