Osamu Suzuki, who led the Japanese motorcycle and car manufacturer for nearly five decades, died in Japan on December 25th, at the age of 94. The cause of death was lymphoma. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Suzuki Motos do Brazil issued this statement, and more information will be posted when it becomes available:
Former Suzuki Global President Osamu Suzuki Dies
It is with deep sorrow that we receive the news of the passing of Suzuki Motor Corporation Senior Advisor Osamu Suzuki at the age of 94.
To respect the wishes of deceased, funeral services were held only for family members. The company plans to hold a farewell meeting at a later date.
President of Suzuki Motos do Brazil, Joao Toledo mourned the death of the former president, who he had the honor of meeting on a few occasions during the more than three decades in which he has represented the brand in Brazil. “We are deeply sorry for the loss of Osamu Suzuki. His contribution and legacy will always be remembered with fondness and respect. May his soul rest in peace and may his family find comfort in this time of sorrow.”
Married to the granddaughter of the company founder, Osamu Suzuki joined Suzuki Motor in April 1958. In 1963 he was appointed director. In June 1978 he took over the company’s presidency, a position he held until 2016, when he handed over the position to his son, Toshiro Suzuki. In 2021, at the age of 91, he was appointed Senior Advisor.
“I can only say that we have had very interesting conversations with his management. It is no secret that Lewis Hamilton is interested in MotoGP and is thinking about his own team. Here, too, there are concrete discussions.” Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director, in an interview published by Speedweek.com on December 24th, 2024.
Rumors have been floated for months that seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton wants to purchase a MotoGP team. Until now, there were never credible sources attached to the rumors. Beirer’s comments are the most solid–and perhaps the first credible–indications that Hamilton may actually be actively seeking an ownership role in the MotoGP paddock.
KTM’s financial difficulties are well-known at this point, and while the company says it is going Grand Prix racing in 2025, an agency representing the company’s creditors says the plan is to pull out of “MotoGP Moto2/Moto3.” There is no timeline and no other details surrounding that assertion by the creditor agency.
Racing requires money, and KTM is actively seeking investors to help the company’s racing efforts. Beirer specifically chose the words “partner” and “investor” in the Speedweek article, because he views them differently than he does a sponsor. “An investor is something different than a sponsor,” he said. “When you have partners at the table to give you money for such a great project, then they get involved. Thus, it is clear that such people will have a certain say.”
This row of tractor semi-trailers is lined up to transport the main beams of the Red Bull/KTM hospitality building erected in the paddock at the MotoGP season finale in Barcelona. We counted at least 10 of these rigs in the paddock on Tuesday as the building was being disassembled. Point is, KTM and Red Bull spend a lot of money on Grand Prix racing, and with the company in financial trouble, creditors will be looking at all expenses. Photo by Michael Gougis.
So, what would Hamilton bring to the KTM racing project? And is Hamilton the suitor who will rescue KTM’s road racing efforts? Hamilton loves performance bikes. He’s ridden Valentino Rossi’s factory Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP machine and Yamaha factory-spec World Superbike YZF-R1s on the track. He owns a collection of fast Italian two-wheelers.
Start with the basics. Hamilton has the money. According to a list of wealthy Brits published earlier in December by The Mirror, Hamilton’s net worth is approximately $375 million. That’s enough to fund KTM’s Grand Prix road racing efforts for the foreseeable future. The annual interest on that amount–if it was in a certificate at my credit union– would generate significantly more than the reported $11 million or so Red Bull kicks in to the KTM MotoGP effort.
But at the levels of finance Hamilton operates in, the game doesn’t work like that. Hamilton will have personal sponsors who throw money at any project he gets involved with. When basketball legend Michael Jordan ran an AMA Pro Superbike team, much of the funding came not from him but from his personal sponsors and others who wanted the attention that he would attract–the U.S. National Guard being one of them. And when I researched an article on the Target/Ganassi IndyCar program for a business newspaper, I found that Target provided virtually nothing in the way of sponsorship. All of the companies with logos on the Target racing cars paid the bills as part of their overall business interaction with the retail giant.
The point is, Hamilton wouldn’t serve as just some rich businessman throwing personal money at a pet project on an impulse. If he got involved, it would be a complex project involving several large multinational corporations. KTM could end up with all of the money it reasonably needed to compete in MotoGP.
But it would come at the cost of having bosses to report to–bosses who are powerful financial figures who want results.
And one of those bosses would be one of history’s most famous and successful racers. Hamilton is a lot like Marc Marquez, in that the record books are littered with their names. Watching Hamilton drive at his best is just like watching Marquez ride–you know you are watching something otherworldly, something genius. (If you need proof, go watch the 2008 British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone. In changing, mixed, treacherous conditions, Hamilton won by 68 seconds.)
Lewis Hamilton at Valencia to ride Valentino Rossi’s factory Yamaha MotoGP racebike in 2019. Photo courtesy AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
Hamilton knows how to win under pressure that is difficult to imagine for motorcycle road racers. The money involved in F1 dwarfs that in MotoGP. The pressure and publicity that goes along with winning multiple titles in F1 makes the public life of Valentino Rossi look like the life of a supporting actor on a moderately successful TV sitcom of the 1990s.
When Team Rahal announced that it was going Supersport racing in MotoAmerica, I wrote that the squad would bring a level of professionalism and publicity to the series because it was a racing organization with a history of success in a very popular and high-profile international racing series. If you think of a potential Hamilton/KTM collaboration, it would be most accurate to see Hamilton’s organization upping the already insanely impressive KTM/Red Bull level. This could be good, because Hamilton and company know what it takes to win. Trackhouse Racing Team Principal Davide Brivio has said that having Justin Marks, a NASCAR race winner, as head of Trackhouse is good because Marks understands what it takes to win. So does Hamilton.
Someone like Hamilton is not going to get involved just for fun. Again, when Jordan got involved in AMA Pro Superbike racing, the team was reasonably successful but wasn’t able to consistently challenge the riders on the factory Yoshimura Suzukis. Jordan said that one of his biggest frustrations was not being able to get factory-spec parts from Suzuki for his team’s bikes. Jordan didn’t want to just be good, he wanted to win. If Hamilton gets involved with KTM, it will be at the factory level. Hamilton will want results, and the factory team will have to develop a bike and attract and retain riders who can beat competitors on the all-conquering Ducatis.
That, ultimately, is the downside of having Hamilton’s organization involved with a racing program. KTM’s progress in recent years has stalled, the team going longer without a race win in MotoGP than even struggling Honda. The RC16 may be as good as anything other than the latest-spec Ducati Desmosedici on any given Sunday. But Hamilton’s interest in the sport isn’t just to be “pretty good,” and it’s definitely not for the ROI. He needs no additional publicity. And there are far better ways to invest money than in MotoGP racing, unless one anticipates a dramatic increase in the value of a MotoGP team under the ownership of Liberty Media. And even that takeover has now been delayed.
No, Hamilton will come to the game to win. And the challenge of working with Aliens is that they want Alien-like results. Again, we can draw a comparison with Marc Marquez, who walked away from an incredibly lucrative contract with Honda because there was no longer any chance of winning on the RC213V. Marquez took a solid financial hit and went to the satellite Gresini team because he missed the taste of victory champagne. Standing on the top of the podium–or at least showing up at the track with a realistic chance of winning–is what motivates Aliens like Marquez and Hamilton. And if KTM can’t deliver that, there could be uncomfortable discussions between the team and its angel investor(s).
The races dedicated to BAGGER motorcycles (Harley Davidson, Indian, etc) have always been viewed with curiosity by the European motorcycling world. Curiosity that will be satisfied from 2025, when the Bagger Racing European Cup will be at the starting line, born from the will of one of the icons of motorcycling of the 2000s: Ruben Xaus.
Ruben has inflamed the crowds of the unpredictable and volcanic SBK World Championship on the track as he is today off it. In 2024 he returned to the saddle in the States in this category, winning the Bagger Racing League title at the first attempt. His entrepreneurial instinct led him to sign an agreement to obtain the rights for Europe, which he will organize supported by the Andorran Federation, in the person of President Natalia Gallego, under the aegis of FIM Europe.
The Cup will be open to all brands that offer motorcycles that can be equipped with bags on the market, thus allowing manufacturers and customizers to compete on a terrain that has never before been the subject of competition in Europe. Here is the list of bikes admitted to the Cup:
Harley Davidson Street Glide
Harley Davidson Road Glide
Harley Davidson Road King
Harley Davidson Ultra
BMW R18
Honda Goldwing
Kawasaki VN Voyager
Suzuki Intruder
Yamaha Star Cruiser
Moto Guzzi MGX 21
Moto Guzzi California
Triumph Rocket
Ducati Diavel V2
WYCHE Motorcycle
Great satisfaction for Ruben Xaus who has dedicated much of the last year to this project: “I found fertile ground for this project in FIM Europe, which immediately embraced it with enthusiasm. I am convinced that this championship can be an added value for the events in which it will be hosted, raising the level of entertainment and interest of the same. We are in the process of defining the calendar, which will be made official within a few days, but will include the main European countries. The regulation will also be simple and open to all. We want the riders registered for the championship to have fun and have fun”.
Alessandro Sambuco, FIM Europe Secretary General
“I am always very satisfied when we manage to add a new title to our sporting offering. Adding a new title is an indicator of health for our world and also indicates that there is confidence in what FIM Europe can offer. And what we offer is what differentiates us from the rest of the sporting world, the one that lives outside the international sporting system: we offer sporting rules, safety in sporting practice, insurance coverage and organizations that are up to every situation. The Baggers will offer a wide range of riders, from young to older, the opportunity to compete in a safe and dynamic environment that, thanks to the new Promoter, will also offer attractive entertainment to accompany the race”.
The cup includes two races for each round, divided between Saturday and Sunday, preceded by free practice and official sessions that will define the starting grid.
The coordination on the track, the organizational secretariat and marketing will be handled by the Italian company Sh Service which will support Gestions A L Instant sl in the organization. Registrations will open in conjunction with the MBE in Verona, an event that links the world of custom and track motorcycling.
BREMBO: 700 TIMES AT THE TOP, THE PASSION NEVER STOPS
From rugged roads to legendary circuits, Brembo continues to make Motorsport history
Brembo, leader in the production of braking systems, celebrates a successful 2024: with 69 titles won, the company confirms its undisputed leadership in the braking systems sector. A year full of triumphs, with some truly memorable moments. In particular, in Formula 1, Max Verstappen (Oracle Red Bull Racing) won his fourth consecutive world
championship, using Brembo calipers and discs.
A Brembo MotoGP caliper. Brembo photo.
Another view of a Brembo MotoGP caliper. Brembo photo.
Speaking of other championships, notable mentions include Jorge Martin’s (PrimaPramac Racing) success in MotoGP with the entire Brembo braking system and Marchesini wheels, and the WorldSBK championship in which Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WSBK Team) returned to triumph. Not to forget the victories of Ai Ogura (MT Helmets MSI) in Moto2 and David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) in Moto3.
Thierry Neuville’s first WRC World Championship (Hyundai Motorsport) highlights the reliability and performance of Brembo braking systems in asphalt and dirt competitions. The strength of the Italian company is also evident in Gen-7 Car, in which all drivers and teams use components from the Brembo Group, such as AP Racing, demonstrating their reliability at high speeds on oval tracks.
As a Solution Provider, Brembo leverages its many years of experience in motorsport competitions to develop innovative and sustainable technological solutions. Thanks to a constant process of research and development, Brembo is able to offer cutting-edge products to major car and motorcycle manufacturers, ensuring maximum performance and safety. The numerous victories achieved not only by Brembo but also by Group companies such as Marchesini, AP Racing, SBS Friction, and J.Juan confirm the Group’s technological leadership in the sector.
Brembo has once again dominated Formula 1: all 24 races of 2024 were won by cars equipped with its brakes. Since 1975, the Bergamo-based company has collected 531 victories out of 851 Grand Prix races, winning 30 drivers’ titles and 34 constructors’ titles together with the strongest teams in the Circus.
The undisputed dominance in MotoGP continues, with successes extending to Moto2, Moto3, and World Superbike (also with Marchesini). Since 1978, a remarkable 592 victories in the premier class (500 and MotoGP) testify to Brembo’s excellence. For the ninth consecutive year, all MotoGP riders have chosen the performance and safety of Brembo components. With 36 riders’ titles and 37 constructors’ titles won with top teams, Brembo is synonymous with innovation and victory in the world of two wheels.
2024 consolidates Brembo’s dominance in electric motorsport as well. For the sixth consecutive season, all 22 full electric Gen3 single-seaters of the FIA Formula E and the 18 electric Ducati of the FIM MotoE World Cup have relied on the excellence of Brembo braking systems. In addition to the already mentioned championships of Formula 1, Formula E, MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, and WSBK, it is also worth mentioning the WEC, GT, IMSA, EWC, Gen-7 Car, MXGP, Enduro, Trial, Formula 2, Formula 3, WRC, Super Formula, MotoAmerica, Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, and many others, for a total of over 700 world titles won from 1975 to today in various categories.
About Brembo
Brembo leads the world in the design and production of high-performance braking systems and components for top-flight manufacturers of cars, motorbikes and commercial vehicles. Founded in 1961 in Italy, Brembo has a long-standing reputation for providing innovative solutions for OEMs and aftermarket. Brembo also competes in the most challenging motorsport championships in the world and has won over 700 titles. Guided by its strategic vision – “Turning Energy into Inspiration” – Brembo’s ambition is to help shape the future of mobility through cutting-edge, digital and sustainable solutions. With over 16,000 people across 15 countries, 32 production and business sites, 9 R&D centers and with a turnover of € 3,849 million in 2023, Brembo is the trusted solution provider for everyone who demands the best driving experience.
In Advance of the 2025 Season, Monster Energy Supercross Boldly Proclaims “Saturday Is Race Day”
Monster Energy AMA Supercross, part of the SMX World Championship Series has unveiled a rebrand campaign that transforms Saturdays into the ultimate celebration of racing. With the launch of its “Saturday Is Race Day” campaign, Supercross is staking its claim as the ultimate form of motorsport competition while also embracing the global fandom that surrounds this storied American-born sport.
The campaign is a bold declaration that every Saturday—henceforth known as Race Day—belongs to Supercross fans. Featuring an electrifying new visual identity, a custom “Race Day” song, and an omnichannel ticketing initiative, the campaign is designed to immerse fans in the raw energy, excitement, and culture of Supercross events like never before. Across mobile, social, digital, and video—not to mention its own theme song—the campaign brings to life the experience beyond the race: a full-day, fan-first extravaganza packed with fun for the whole family.
“This campaign amplifies everything we love about Race Day and invites even more fans to join us in the experience,” said Dave Prater, Vice President – Supercross, Feld Motor Sports. “Supercross brings together the world’s best athletes at the pinnacle of off-road motorcycle racing, showcasing unmatched levels of skill, bravery, strength, and endurance. Seeing the sport up close and meeting these remarkable athletes at FanFest, while being part of the crowd takes the excitement to a whole new level. This campaign is an invitation to experience Supercross live and in person in an entirely new way.”
The new campaign is built around the momentum of Supercross’s record-breaking 2024 season, which marked the second year of the SMX World Championship. This groundbreaking series unified both disciplines of Supercross and Pro Motocross, culminating in the SMX World Championship Playoffs—a three-week postseason format—in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 21. The event saw generational talents Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan both secure their second consecutive world championship titles in the 450 and 250 classes, respectively. With 2025 shaping up to be even bigger, the rebrand combines dynamic visuals with cutting-edge storytelling capturing the heart-pounding action and electric atmosphere of Supercross events.
“Supercross is all about community, energy, and the unforgettable feeling of being trackside,” said Sam Gomez, Senior Vice President of Digital Media and Communications at Feld Entertainment. “This campaign encapsulates the passion of our fans and the spirit of the sport while making it easier than ever for people to be part of the action. Thanks to Gupta Media’s storytelling and creative execution, we’re expanding our reach and delivering a campaign that lives up to the thrill of Supercross.”
Part of the crowd at a Supercross held in Charlotte. North Carolina last season. Feld photo.
Supercross FanFest typically draws NHL arena-sized audiences at each round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and is a big part of the overall Supercross experience.
“We knew that a campaign for Supercross had to match the intensity and passion of the sport itself,” said Gogi Gupta, Founder of Gupta Media, which developed the creative campaign in partnership with Feld Motor Sports. “Our team set out to create a campaign that not only drives ticket sales but also connects with fans on an emotional level, capturing the essence of what makes Supercross unforgettable.”
“Creating the ‘Saturday Is Race Day’ campaign was about capturing the raw energy and passion that make Supercross so special,” said Jen Perry, Executive Creative Director at Gupta Media. “We wanted to create something that not only resonates with fans but inspires them to engage and make it their own. Whether it’s through sharing their favorite Race Day moments with their families and friends or creating their own takes on the Race Day chant on social media, this is a rallying cry for the Supercross community to unite and amplify what they love about Race Day.”
A series ad featuring the new tag line, “Saturday Is Race Day.” The first Supercross of 2025 will be held at Angel Stadium on January 11th. Feld graphic.
Fans can expect to see the new Supercross campaign rolling out across digital channels, television, and social media in the coming weeks. Tickets for the upcoming Supercross season are available now at SupercrossLIVE.com. The 17-race Supercross schedule is poised to visit 16 cities across 13 states, from California and Arizona to Alabama and Pennsylvania, which includes four rounds in the Northeast as the SMX League continues to drive growth of the sport within the region. Additional stops include Tampa at Raymond James Stadium and East Rutherford, N.J. at MetLife Stadium. New to the schedule this season is a stop at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Penn, home to the six-time Superbowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers.
2024 SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL SERIES WRAPS UP IN STYLE
The 2024 Suzuki International Series wrapped up in style on Whanganui’s world-famous Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day, December 26th.
With drizzle wetting the public street circuit early on Thursday morning, fears were held that this may dampen not only the twisty tarmac, but also the enthusiasm of the riders and spectators.
But this was not the case and, particularly as the circuit dried out brilliantly just before the first official races, the riders responded by producing some of the closest racing in the event’s history, with record-setting times recorded in many of the classes, and the crowds showed up anyway in large numbers for the post-Christmas blow-out.
The Cemetery Circuit street motorcycle racing event was the much-anticipated finale of the three-round annual Suzuki International Series and it was not hard to see why the annual motorcycling spectacle each December has a huge following, both domestically and internationally too.
The first two rounds were staged on purpose-built race tracks, in Taupo and Manfeild respectively, in the two weekends preceding Boxing Day and there riders had set themselves up for a thrilling final showdown at Whanganui.
The public street course at Whanganui is unique in world road-racing circles, affectionately regarded as the “Isle of Man of the Southern Hemisphere”, taking the speeding riders past headstones in the inner-city graveyard, not to mention the competitors zooming close to road-side curbs, across white-painted lines, over railway lines and near to traffic islands. It takes your breath away just to think about it, although serious safety measures were in place.
It was memorable again this year as Bay of Plenty father and son duo Tony and Mitch Rees led the way in the premier Formula One/Superbike class, the two men shading a couple of 2024 Isle of Man title winners from the United Kingdom, Davey Todd and Peter Hickman, as the competitors arrived in Whanganui on Boxing Day morning.
And, after a long day of intense action, featuring racing in 14 separate bike classes, that’s how the F1 class did end up, Rees junior No.1 and Rees senior No.2, followed by international stars Todd and Hickman.
This meant the just-turned 32-year-old Mitch Rees had made it four F1 title wins in a row in this popular Christmas-time series.
Mitch Rees previously won the Formula One class overall in the Suzuki International Series in 2020, 2022 and 2023 (the series was not run in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
It also meant he had added the Robert Holden Memorial feature race win to the ones he had celebrated in 2022 and last year too, now making it three wins in a row for this prestigious trophy.
The Robert Holden Memorial trophy probably holds a special place in the Rees family home, with Mitch Rees’ late younger brother Damon Rees having also won it in 2020 and it has been won their father Tony Rees on seven occasions (between 1990 and 2016), the now 57-year-old showing that age truly is just a number.
Hickman had won this trophy also on his previous visit to New Zealand in 2018.
There were plenty of stand-outs in the Suzuki International Series this year, but there was no going past the double-class wins achieved by young Aucklander Tyler King (the 18-year-old from Silverdale who won both the Formula Three and Supersport 300 classes) and home-town hero Richie Dibben (the Whanganui 35-year-old who won both the Supermoto class, for modified dirt bikes, and the inaugural Adventure Bikes class as well).
The Supermoto class was a crowd favourite on the public streets of Whanganui on Boxing Day, with UK rider Davey Todd (Suzuki RM-Z450 letter D) and local Whanganui hero Richie Dibben (Suzuki RM-Z450 No.1) close through every twist and turn. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
“It has been a fantastic series again this year, with great racing throughout the classes,” said Suzuki International Series organiser Allan ‘Flea’ Willacy.
“The competition has been good and we have seen some great crowds. The overseas competitors did not let us down and they really put on a great show.”
Meanwhile, German rider Wolfi Schuster and Frenchman Timothee Monot also added to the international flavour of racing this year, both of these riders entered in the Formula Two/600cc class, although Monot was at Whanganui only. Stuttgart’s Schuster finished a creditable third overall in the F2 class at Whanganui, behind Cambridge’s Morgan McLaren-Wood and Wanaka’s Seth Devereux, while Brittany resident Montot claimed 11th overall in the class on Boxing Day.
Class winners in the 2024 Suzuki International Series, which wrapped up in Whanganui on Boxing Day, are Whakatane’s Mitch Rees (Formula One/Superbikes class); Cambridge’s Morgan McLaren-Wood (Formula Two/Supersport 600); Auckland’s Tyler King (in both the Formula Three and Supersport 300 classes); Wellington’s Malcolm Beilski (Formula Sport, Senior); Whanganui’s Jeff Croot (Formula Sport, Junior); Glen Eden’s Daniel Mettam (Post Classics, Pre 95, Senior); Tauranga’s Darrick Kattenberg (Post Classics, Pre 95, Junior); Hastings’ Gian Louie (Post Classics, Pre 89, Senior); Lower Hutt’s Dean Bentley (Post Classics, Pre 89, Junior); Panmure’s Adam Unsworth and Whanganui’s Bryce Rose (Formula One Sidecars; Whanganui’s Tracey Bryan and Auckland’s Kendal Dunlop (Formula Two sidecars); and Whanganui’s Richie Dibben (in both the Supermoto and Adventure Bike classes).
Robert Holden Memorial feature race Top Five:
1. Mitch Rees
2. Davey Todd
3. Tony Rees
4. Morgan McLaren-Wood
5. Wellington’s Rogan Chandler.
More Results Follow Below
F1/Superbike Results and Points from the season Finale weekendF1/Superbike Class Series Final Points from all three 2024 eventsRobert Holden Memorial Race results
Supermoto class Round 3 Whanganui results 2024
Supermoto class series results 2024
The Suzuki International Series is supported by Suzuki New Zealand, Mondiale VGL, Auto Super Shoppe Tawa, Givi, I-Tools, Bridgestone tyres, Sharp As Linehaul Ltd Whanganui, TSS Motorcycles, Ipone, Inferno Design and Digital, Kiwibike Motorcycle Insurance Specialists, Cemetery Circuit Ltd.
DATES FOR 2024 SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL SERIES:
• Round 1, Taupo, Dec 7th and 8th;
• Round 2, Manfeild, Feilding, Dec 14th and 15th;
• Round 3, Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit, Dec 26th.
Osamu Suzuki, who led the Japanese motorcycle and car manufacturer for nearly five decades, died in Japan on December 25th, at the age of 94. The cause of death was lymphoma. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Suzuki Motos do Brazil issued this statement, and more information will be posted when it becomes available:
Former Suzuki Global President Osamu Suzuki Dies
It is with deep sorrow that we receive the news of the passing of Suzuki Motor Corporation Senior Advisor Osamu Suzuki at the age of 94.
To respect the wishes of deceased, funeral services were held only for family members. The company plans to hold a farewell meeting at a later date.
President of Suzuki Motos do Brazil, Joao Toledo mourned the death of the former president, who he had the honor of meeting on a few occasions during the more than three decades in which he has represented the brand in Brazil. “We are deeply sorry for the loss of Osamu Suzuki. His contribution and legacy will always be remembered with fondness and respect. May his soul rest in peace and may his family find comfort in this time of sorrow.”
Married to the granddaughter of the company founder, Osamu Suzuki joined Suzuki Motor in April 1958. In 1963 he was appointed director. In June 1978 he took over the company’s presidency, a position he held until 2016, when he handed over the position to his son, Toshiro Suzuki. In 2021, at the age of 91, he was appointed Senior Advisor.
Formula One race car driver Lewis Hamilton (44) on a Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP racebike (44) at Valencia, in 2019. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
First Person/Opinion
By Michael Gougis
“I can only say that we have had very interesting conversations with his management. It is no secret that Lewis Hamilton is interested in MotoGP and is thinking about his own team. Here, too, there are concrete discussions.” Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director, in an interview published by Speedweek.com on December 24th, 2024.
Rumors have been floated for months that seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton wants to purchase a MotoGP team. Until now, there were never credible sources attached to the rumors. Beirer’s comments are the most solid–and perhaps the first credible–indications that Hamilton may actually be actively seeking an ownership role in the MotoGP paddock.
KTM’s financial difficulties are well-known at this point, and while the company says it is going Grand Prix racing in 2025, an agency representing the company’s creditors says the plan is to pull out of “MotoGP Moto2/Moto3.” There is no timeline and no other details surrounding that assertion by the creditor agency.
Racing requires money, and KTM is actively seeking investors to help the company’s racing efforts. Beirer specifically chose the words “partner” and “investor” in the Speedweek article, because he views them differently than he does a sponsor. “An investor is something different than a sponsor,” he said. “When you have partners at the table to give you money for such a great project, then they get involved. Thus, it is clear that such people will have a certain say.”
This row of tractor semi-trailers is lined up to transport the main beams of the Red Bull/KTM hospitality building erected in the paddock at the MotoGP season finale in Barcelona. We counted at least 10 of these rigs in the paddock on Tuesday as the building was being disassembled. Point is, KTM and Red Bull spend a lot of money on Grand Prix racing, and with the company in financial trouble, creditors will be looking at all expenses. Photo by Michael Gougis.
So, what would Hamilton bring to the KTM racing project? And is Hamilton the suitor who will rescue KTM’s road racing efforts? Hamilton loves performance bikes. He’s ridden Valentino Rossi’s factory Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP machine and Yamaha factory-spec World Superbike YZF-R1s on the track. He owns a collection of fast Italian two-wheelers.
Start with the basics. Hamilton has the money. According to a list of wealthy Brits published earlier in December by The Mirror, Hamilton’s net worth is approximately $375 million. That’s enough to fund KTM’s Grand Prix road racing efforts for the foreseeable future. The annual interest on that amount–if it was in a certificate at my credit union– would generate significantly more than the reported $11 million or so Red Bull kicks in to the KTM MotoGP effort.
But at the levels of finance Hamilton operates in, the game doesn’t work like that. Hamilton will have personal sponsors who throw money at any project he gets involved with. When basketball legend Michael Jordan ran an AMA Pro Superbike team, much of the funding came not from him but from his personal sponsors and others who wanted the attention that he would attract–the U.S. National Guard being one of them. And when I researched an article on the Target/Ganassi IndyCar program for a business newspaper, I found that Target provided virtually nothing in the way of sponsorship. All of the companies with logos on the Target racing cars paid the bills as part of their overall business interaction with the retail giant.
The point is, Hamilton wouldn’t serve as just some rich businessman throwing personal money at a pet project on an impulse. If he got involved, it would be a complex project involving several large multinational corporations. KTM could end up with all of the money it reasonably needed to compete in MotoGP.
But it would come at the cost of having bosses to report to–bosses who are powerful financial figures who want results.
And one of those bosses would be one of history’s most famous and successful racers. Hamilton is a lot like Marc Marquez, in that the record books are littered with their names. Watching Hamilton drive at his best is just like watching Marquez ride–you know you are watching something otherworldly, something genius. (If you need proof, go watch the 2008 British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone. In changing, mixed, treacherous conditions, Hamilton won by 68 seconds.)
Lewis Hamilton at Valencia to ride Valentino Rossi’s factory Yamaha MotoGP racebike in 2019. Photo courtesy AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
Hamilton knows how to win under pressure that is difficult to imagine for motorcycle road racers. The money involved in F1 dwarfs that in MotoGP. The pressure and publicity that goes along with winning multiple titles in F1 makes the public life of Valentino Rossi look like the life of a supporting actor on a moderately successful TV sitcom of the 1990s.
When Team Rahal announced that it was going Supersport racing in MotoAmerica, I wrote that the squad would bring a level of professionalism and publicity to the series because it was a racing organization with a history of success in a very popular and high-profile international racing series. If you think of a potential Hamilton/KTM collaboration, it would be most accurate to see Hamilton’s organization upping the already insanely impressive KTM/Red Bull level. This could be good, because Hamilton and company know what it takes to win. Trackhouse Racing Team Principal Davide Brivio has said that having Justin Marks, a NASCAR race winner, as head of Trackhouse is good because Marks understands what it takes to win. So does Hamilton.
Someone like Hamilton is not going to get involved just for fun. Again, when Jordan got involved in AMA Pro Superbike racing, the team was reasonably successful but wasn’t able to consistently challenge the riders on the factory Yoshimura Suzukis. Jordan said that one of his biggest frustrations was not being able to get factory-spec parts from Suzuki for his team’s bikes. Jordan didn’t want to just be good, he wanted to win. If Hamilton gets involved with KTM, it will be at the factory level. Hamilton will want results, and the factory team will have to develop a bike and attract and retain riders who can beat competitors on the all-conquering Ducatis.
That, ultimately, is the downside of having Hamilton’s organization involved with a racing program. KTM’s progress in recent years has stalled, the team going longer without a race win in MotoGP than even struggling Honda. The RC16 may be as good as anything other than the latest-spec Ducati Desmosedici on any given Sunday. But Hamilton’s interest in the sport isn’t just to be “pretty good,” and it’s definitely not for the ROI. He needs no additional publicity. And there are far better ways to invest money than in MotoGP racing, unless one anticipates a dramatic increase in the value of a MotoGP team under the ownership of Liberty Media. And even that takeover has now been delayed.
No, Hamilton will come to the game to win. And the challenge of working with Aliens is that they want Alien-like results. Again, we can draw a comparison with Marc Marquez, who walked away from an incredibly lucrative contract with Honda because there was no longer any chance of winning on the RC213V. Marquez took a solid financial hit and went to the satellite Gresini team because he missed the taste of victory champagne. Standing on the top of the podium–or at least showing up at the track with a realistic chance of winning–is what motivates Aliens like Marquez and Hamilton. And if KTM can’t deliver that, there could be uncomfortable discussions between the team and its angel investor(s).
Ruben Xaus (111) on a Feuling Parts Harley-Davidson at Willow Springs. Photo courtesy Feuling Parts.
The races dedicated to BAGGER motorcycles (Harley Davidson, Indian, etc) have always been viewed with curiosity by the European motorcycling world. Curiosity that will be satisfied from 2025, when the Bagger Racing European Cup will be at the starting line, born from the will of one of the icons of motorcycling of the 2000s: Ruben Xaus.
Ruben has inflamed the crowds of the unpredictable and volcanic SBK World Championship on the track as he is today off it. In 2024 he returned to the saddle in the States in this category, winning the Bagger Racing League title at the first attempt. His entrepreneurial instinct led him to sign an agreement to obtain the rights for Europe, which he will organize supported by the Andorran Federation, in the person of President Natalia Gallego, under the aegis of FIM Europe.
The Cup will be open to all brands that offer motorcycles that can be equipped with bags on the market, thus allowing manufacturers and customizers to compete on a terrain that has never before been the subject of competition in Europe. Here is the list of bikes admitted to the Cup:
Harley Davidson Street Glide
Harley Davidson Road Glide
Harley Davidson Road King
Harley Davidson Ultra
BMW R18
Honda Goldwing
Kawasaki VN Voyager
Suzuki Intruder
Yamaha Star Cruiser
Moto Guzzi MGX 21
Moto Guzzi California
Triumph Rocket
Ducati Diavel V2
WYCHE Motorcycle
Great satisfaction for Ruben Xaus who has dedicated much of the last year to this project: “I found fertile ground for this project in FIM Europe, which immediately embraced it with enthusiasm. I am convinced that this championship can be an added value for the events in which it will be hosted, raising the level of entertainment and interest of the same. We are in the process of defining the calendar, which will be made official within a few days, but will include the main European countries. The regulation will also be simple and open to all. We want the riders registered for the championship to have fun and have fun”.
Alessandro Sambuco, FIM Europe Secretary General
“I am always very satisfied when we manage to add a new title to our sporting offering. Adding a new title is an indicator of health for our world and also indicates that there is confidence in what FIM Europe can offer. And what we offer is what differentiates us from the rest of the sporting world, the one that lives outside the international sporting system: we offer sporting rules, safety in sporting practice, insurance coverage and organizations that are up to every situation. The Baggers will offer a wide range of riders, from young to older, the opportunity to compete in a safe and dynamic environment that, thanks to the new Promoter, will also offer attractive entertainment to accompany the race”.
The cup includes two races for each round, divided between Saturday and Sunday, preceded by free practice and official sessions that will define the starting grid.
The coordination on the track, the organizational secretariat and marketing will be handled by the Italian company Sh Service which will support Gestions A L Instant sl in the organization. Registrations will open in conjunction with the MBE in Verona, an event that links the world of custom and track motorcycling.
2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin (89) in action, with Brembo brakes on his GP24 Ducati . Photo courtesy Dorna.
BREMBO: 700 TIMES AT THE TOP, THE PASSION NEVER STOPS
From rugged roads to legendary circuits, Brembo continues to make Motorsport history
Brembo, leader in the production of braking systems, celebrates a successful 2024: with 69 titles won, the company confirms its undisputed leadership in the braking systems sector. A year full of triumphs, with some truly memorable moments. In particular, in Formula 1, Max Verstappen (Oracle Red Bull Racing) won his fourth consecutive world
championship, using Brembo calipers and discs.
A Brembo MotoGP caliper. Brembo photo.
Another view of a Brembo MotoGP caliper. Brembo photo.
Speaking of other championships, notable mentions include Jorge Martin’s (PrimaPramac Racing) success in MotoGP with the entire Brembo braking system and Marchesini wheels, and the WorldSBK championship in which Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WSBK Team) returned to triumph. Not to forget the victories of Ai Ogura (MT Helmets MSI) in Moto2 and David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) in Moto3.
Thierry Neuville’s first WRC World Championship (Hyundai Motorsport) highlights the reliability and performance of Brembo braking systems in asphalt and dirt competitions. The strength of the Italian company is also evident in Gen-7 Car, in which all drivers and teams use components from the Brembo Group, such as AP Racing, demonstrating their reliability at high speeds on oval tracks.
As a Solution Provider, Brembo leverages its many years of experience in motorsport competitions to develop innovative and sustainable technological solutions. Thanks to a constant process of research and development, Brembo is able to offer cutting-edge products to major car and motorcycle manufacturers, ensuring maximum performance and safety. The numerous victories achieved not only by Brembo but also by Group companies such as Marchesini, AP Racing, SBS Friction, and J.Juan confirm the Group’s technological leadership in the sector.
Brembo has once again dominated Formula 1: all 24 races of 2024 were won by cars equipped with its brakes. Since 1975, the Bergamo-based company has collected 531 victories out of 851 Grand Prix races, winning 30 drivers’ titles and 34 constructors’ titles together with the strongest teams in the Circus.
The undisputed dominance in MotoGP continues, with successes extending to Moto2, Moto3, and World Superbike (also with Marchesini). Since 1978, a remarkable 592 victories in the premier class (500 and MotoGP) testify to Brembo’s excellence. For the ninth consecutive year, all MotoGP riders have chosen the performance and safety of Brembo components. With 36 riders’ titles and 37 constructors’ titles won with top teams, Brembo is synonymous with innovation and victory in the world of two wheels.
2024 consolidates Brembo’s dominance in electric motorsport as well. For the sixth consecutive season, all 22 full electric Gen3 single-seaters of the FIA Formula E and the 18 electric Ducati of the FIM MotoE World Cup have relied on the excellence of Brembo braking systems. In addition to the already mentioned championships of Formula 1, Formula E, MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, and WSBK, it is also worth mentioning the WEC, GT, IMSA, EWC, Gen-7 Car, MXGP, Enduro, Trial, Formula 2, Formula 3, WRC, Super Formula, MotoAmerica, Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, and many others, for a total of over 700 world titles won from 1975 to today in various categories.
About Brembo
Brembo leads the world in the design and production of high-performance braking systems and components for top-flight manufacturers of cars, motorbikes and commercial vehicles. Founded in 1961 in Italy, Brembo has a long-standing reputation for providing innovative solutions for OEMs and aftermarket. Brembo also competes in the most challenging motorsport championships in the world and has won over 700 titles. Guided by its strategic vision – “Turning Energy into Inspiration” – Brembo’s ambition is to help shape the future of mobility through cutting-edge, digital and sustainable solutions. With over 16,000 people across 15 countries, 32 production and business sites, 9 R&D centers and with a turnover of € 3,849 million in 2023, Brembo is the trusted solution provider for everyone who demands the best driving experience.
A sold-out crowd at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California where the 2025 series will start anew on January 11th. Feld Motorsports photo.
In Advance of the 2025 Season, Monster Energy Supercross Boldly Proclaims “Saturday Is Race Day”
Monster Energy AMA Supercross, part of the SMX World Championship Series has unveiled a rebrand campaign that transforms Saturdays into the ultimate celebration of racing. With the launch of its “Saturday Is Race Day” campaign, Supercross is staking its claim as the ultimate form of motorsport competition while also embracing the global fandom that surrounds this storied American-born sport.
The campaign is a bold declaration that every Saturday—henceforth known as Race Day—belongs to Supercross fans. Featuring an electrifying new visual identity, a custom “Race Day” song, and an omnichannel ticketing initiative, the campaign is designed to immerse fans in the raw energy, excitement, and culture of Supercross events like never before. Across mobile, social, digital, and video—not to mention its own theme song—the campaign brings to life the experience beyond the race: a full-day, fan-first extravaganza packed with fun for the whole family.
“This campaign amplifies everything we love about Race Day and invites even more fans to join us in the experience,” said Dave Prater, Vice President – Supercross, Feld Motor Sports. “Supercross brings together the world’s best athletes at the pinnacle of off-road motorcycle racing, showcasing unmatched levels of skill, bravery, strength, and endurance. Seeing the sport up close and meeting these remarkable athletes at FanFest, while being part of the crowd takes the excitement to a whole new level. This campaign is an invitation to experience Supercross live and in person in an entirely new way.”
The new campaign is built around the momentum of Supercross’s record-breaking 2024 season, which marked the second year of the SMX World Championship. This groundbreaking series unified both disciplines of Supercross and Pro Motocross, culminating in the SMX World Championship Playoffs—a three-week postseason format—in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 21. The event saw generational talents Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan both secure their second consecutive world championship titles in the 450 and 250 classes, respectively. With 2025 shaping up to be even bigger, the rebrand combines dynamic visuals with cutting-edge storytelling capturing the heart-pounding action and electric atmosphere of Supercross events.
“Supercross is all about community, energy, and the unforgettable feeling of being trackside,” said Sam Gomez, Senior Vice President of Digital Media and Communications at Feld Entertainment. “This campaign encapsulates the passion of our fans and the spirit of the sport while making it easier than ever for people to be part of the action. Thanks to Gupta Media’s storytelling and creative execution, we’re expanding our reach and delivering a campaign that lives up to the thrill of Supercross.”
Part of the crowd at a Supercross held in Charlotte. North Carolina last season. Feld photo.
Supercross FanFest typically draws NHL arena-sized audiences at each round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and is a big part of the overall Supercross experience.
“We knew that a campaign for Supercross had to match the intensity and passion of the sport itself,” said Gogi Gupta, Founder of Gupta Media, which developed the creative campaign in partnership with Feld Motor Sports. “Our team set out to create a campaign that not only drives ticket sales but also connects with fans on an emotional level, capturing the essence of what makes Supercross unforgettable.”
“Creating the ‘Saturday Is Race Day’ campaign was about capturing the raw energy and passion that make Supercross so special,” said Jen Perry, Executive Creative Director at Gupta Media. “We wanted to create something that not only resonates with fans but inspires them to engage and make it their own. Whether it’s through sharing their favorite Race Day moments with their families and friends or creating their own takes on the Race Day chant on social media, this is a rallying cry for the Supercross community to unite and amplify what they love about Race Day.”
A series ad featuring the new tag line, “Saturday Is Race Day.” The first Supercross of 2025 will be held at Angel Stadium on January 11th. Feld graphic.
Fans can expect to see the new Supercross campaign rolling out across digital channels, television, and social media in the coming weeks. Tickets for the upcoming Supercross season are available now at SupercrossLIVE.com. The 17-race Supercross schedule is poised to visit 16 cities across 13 states, from California and Arizona to Alabama and Pennsylvania, which includes four rounds in the Northeast as the SMX League continues to drive growth of the sport within the region. Additional stops include Tampa at Raymond James Stadium and East Rutherford, N.J. at MetLife Stadium. New to the schedule this season is a stop at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Penn, home to the six-time Superbowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers.
Whakatane’s Mitch Rees (92) cracked the ‘double’ once again, winning both the premier Formula one/Superbike class overall and taking the Robert Holden Memorial feature race win as well. He is congratulated here by visiting UK rider Davey Todd (D). Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
2024 SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL SERIES WRAPS UP IN STYLE
The 2024 Suzuki International Series wrapped up in style on Whanganui’s world-famous Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day, December 26th.
With drizzle wetting the public street circuit early on Thursday morning, fears were held that this may dampen not only the twisty tarmac, but also the enthusiasm of the riders and spectators.
But this was not the case and, particularly as the circuit dried out brilliantly just before the first official races, the riders responded by producing some of the closest racing in the event’s history, with record-setting times recorded in many of the classes, and the crowds showed up anyway in large numbers for the post-Christmas blow-out.
The Cemetery Circuit street motorcycle racing event was the much-anticipated finale of the three-round annual Suzuki International Series and it was not hard to see why the annual motorcycling spectacle each December has a huge following, both domestically and internationally too.
The first two rounds were staged on purpose-built race tracks, in Taupo and Manfeild respectively, in the two weekends preceding Boxing Day and there riders had set themselves up for a thrilling final showdown at Whanganui.
The public street course at Whanganui is unique in world road-racing circles, affectionately regarded as the “Isle of Man of the Southern Hemisphere”, taking the speeding riders past headstones in the inner-city graveyard, not to mention the competitors zooming close to road-side curbs, across white-painted lines, over railway lines and near to traffic islands. It takes your breath away just to think about it, although serious safety measures were in place.
It was memorable again this year as Bay of Plenty father and son duo Tony and Mitch Rees led the way in the premier Formula One/Superbike class, the two men shading a couple of 2024 Isle of Man title winners from the United Kingdom, Davey Todd and Peter Hickman, as the competitors arrived in Whanganui on Boxing Day morning.
And, after a long day of intense action, featuring racing in 14 separate bike classes, that’s how the F1 class did end up, Rees junior No.1 and Rees senior No.2, followed by international stars Todd and Hickman.
This meant the just-turned 32-year-old Mitch Rees had made it four F1 title wins in a row in this popular Christmas-time series.
Mitch Rees previously won the Formula One class overall in the Suzuki International Series in 2020, 2022 and 2023 (the series was not run in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
It also meant he had added the Robert Holden Memorial feature race win to the ones he had celebrated in 2022 and last year too, now making it three wins in a row for this prestigious trophy.
The Robert Holden Memorial trophy probably holds a special place in the Rees family home, with Mitch Rees’ late younger brother Damon Rees having also won it in 2020 and it has been won their father Tony Rees on seven occasions (between 1990 and 2016), the now 57-year-old showing that age truly is just a number.
Hickman had won this trophy also on his previous visit to New Zealand in 2018.
There were plenty of stand-outs in the Suzuki International Series this year, but there was no going past the double-class wins achieved by young Aucklander Tyler King (the 18-year-old from Silverdale who won both the Formula Three and Supersport 300 classes) and home-town hero Richie Dibben (the Whanganui 35-year-old who won both the Supermoto class, for modified dirt bikes, and the inaugural Adventure Bikes class as well).
The Supermoto class was a crowd favourite on the public streets of Whanganui on Boxing Day, with UK rider Davey Todd (Suzuki RM-Z450 letter D) and local Whanganui hero Richie Dibben (Suzuki RM-Z450 No.1) close through every twist and turn. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
“It has been a fantastic series again this year, with great racing throughout the classes,” said Suzuki International Series organiser Allan ‘Flea’ Willacy.
“The competition has been good and we have seen some great crowds. The overseas competitors did not let us down and they really put on a great show.”
Meanwhile, German rider Wolfi Schuster and Frenchman Timothee Monot also added to the international flavour of racing this year, both of these riders entered in the Formula Two/600cc class, although Monot was at Whanganui only. Stuttgart’s Schuster finished a creditable third overall in the F2 class at Whanganui, behind Cambridge’s Morgan McLaren-Wood and Wanaka’s Seth Devereux, while Brittany resident Montot claimed 11th overall in the class on Boxing Day.
Class winners in the 2024 Suzuki International Series, which wrapped up in Whanganui on Boxing Day, are Whakatane’s Mitch Rees (Formula One/Superbikes class); Cambridge’s Morgan McLaren-Wood (Formula Two/Supersport 600); Auckland’s Tyler King (in both the Formula Three and Supersport 300 classes); Wellington’s Malcolm Beilski (Formula Sport, Senior); Whanganui’s Jeff Croot (Formula Sport, Junior); Glen Eden’s Daniel Mettam (Post Classics, Pre 95, Senior); Tauranga’s Darrick Kattenberg (Post Classics, Pre 95, Junior); Hastings’ Gian Louie (Post Classics, Pre 89, Senior); Lower Hutt’s Dean Bentley (Post Classics, Pre 89, Junior); Panmure’s Adam Unsworth and Whanganui’s Bryce Rose (Formula One Sidecars; Whanganui’s Tracey Bryan and Auckland’s Kendal Dunlop (Formula Two sidecars); and Whanganui’s Richie Dibben (in both the Supermoto and Adventure Bike classes).
Robert Holden Memorial feature race Top Five:
1. Mitch Rees
2. Davey Todd
3. Tony Rees
4. Morgan McLaren-Wood
5. Wellington’s Rogan Chandler.
More Results Follow Below
F1/Superbike Results and Points from the season Finale weekendF1/Superbike Class Series Final Points from all three 2024 eventsRobert Holden Memorial Race results
Supermoto class Round 3 Whanganui results 2024
Supermoto class series results 2024
The Suzuki International Series is supported by Suzuki New Zealand, Mondiale VGL, Auto Super Shoppe Tawa, Givi, I-Tools, Bridgestone tyres, Sharp As Linehaul Ltd Whanganui, TSS Motorcycles, Ipone, Inferno Design and Digital, Kiwibike Motorcycle Insurance Specialists, Cemetery Circuit Ltd.
DATES FOR 2024 SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL SERIES:
• Round 1, Taupo, Dec 7th and 8th;
• Round 2, Manfeild, Feilding, Dec 14th and 15th;
• Round 3, Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit, Dec 26th.
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