Virginio Ferrari: “Suzuki has stayed in my heart”

One of the riders who, throughout motorcycle history, has been able to power the Suzuki to the limit and win is Virginio Ferrari, who joined the Japanese manufacturer in the late 70s. Now that Suzuki is back on top of the world we had a chat with the Italian, taking a trip down memory lane before returning to the present day.

What memories do you have of racing with Suzuki?

"Those were the best years of my life, because they represented my most unbridled passion. My adventure with Suzuki was like a crescendo, a falling in love with a bike I feared at first. Then I realised there was nothing to fear, the bike just having a little more power, but this power felt so great to harness that I immediately gained confidence. And then came the results. Within two a half years, I was up against guys with a lot more experience, Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts, they were my main rivals. Then I met the man who’d be true friend in the racing world, Marco Lucchinelli; we had so much fun".

You were also championship runner-up with Suzuki in 1979.

"All this was a life experience, where I touched rock bottom, then the peak, and the difficult paths mid-way up the mountain. It was a really climb and when you return to base camp on your own two legs in the knowledge that you’ve maybe lost 23 friends along the way, guys you’d shared moments with, this leaves you shocked on the one hand, but also makes you realise how lucky you’ve been. Without considering titles, my dream was to be able to ride a racing bike as I’d imagined it, and at one point this brought me satisfaction. I’m extremely pleased with how things went, and if I’m here today it’s thanks to Doctor Costa".

What do you think about Mir’s win with Suzuki?

"It’s difficult to analyse because you need to be at the track to do that, you have to ride with him, understand the rider’s grit, character, temperament. Analysing how good or strong he’s actually been is something only his rivals can do".

The title came in the absence of Marc Marquez.

"He’s out because of injury and this is basically down to the lack of competence of those treating him. If the initial surgery had been done in another way, by someone like Claudio Costa for example, he’d already be back on track".

How was it to work with a manufacturer like Suzuki?

"At the end of 1975, I was contacted by Maurizio Zanetti, the boss at Suzuki Italia, and we met at a motorway service station. They wanted to give me a bike for the ’76 season and I accepted. When I tested it for the first time, I was impressed. After the test, they gave me the OK and steered me towards team Gallina where Armando Toracca and Marco Lucchinelli were already riding, taking turns on a four-cylinder Suzuki 500 and a Suzuki 500 twin. I came in like an intruder and reached the podium at the Mugello grand prix, with Barry Sheene and Phil Read".

But things soon changed.

"Suzuki had a factory team with a base in England and in 1978 they contacted me and decided to give me a factory Suzuki, in an attempt to help Sheene win the title. But he was unable to keep pace in Germany and so I won. So in ‘79 they gave me a factory bike with team Gallina, where I was the only rider and entered the Suzuki orbit. I then went to Hamamatsu to test factory bikes and offer my opinion about new solutions and frames. I was able to have a particular view of what the Suzuki firm was for the very fact that I experienced their mondus operandi first-hand".

What an honour to become part of this family…

"Suzuki employees prioritised the firm over family. The behaviour, mentality and their duty to the company they worked for came even before family. My memories of that period have stayed in my heart for many reasons, but particularly due to these values".

Translated by Heather Watson

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