08/07/2010
Team Suzuki Press Office - July 8.
Markus Bau is the CEO of Teka and the owner of the Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 team as well as a major partner in the Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1 crew.
"I used to ride motocross when I was younger and still try to now when I have time. It means I can appreciate the sport and I know a little bit about the technical demands and what a rider needs. This also explains why I take a great deal of personal interest in the teams and why I take it upon myself to personally manage some matters. We have been involved in other sports at the top level, in football and cycling, and knew that we needed someone inside the sport.
"You have moments in your life when two or three people come together at the right moment and this was how it began for Teka and motocross. I was asked if something could be put together and I thought 'why not' and we started in a small way. Later on we found a good co-operation with GRP (Geboers Racing Promotion) and they wanted to increase the partnership. Suzuki wanted to start the MX2 project with Ken Roczen and because we knew of Ken we said 'OK'. I like motocross but we also get results through our sponsorship in our sales.
"The link with GRP and being based in Belgium is important. The MX2 team is essentially German but is based in Lommel so that the vital association, especially on the technical side, can be made. We are surrounded by a lot of knowledge and experience and this helped towards the good results in the past and now the present.
"The MX2 team is very young and we are still growing. This year we have a completely new bike and I think we are becoming very competitive. I am extremely pleased with Arnaud Tonus and his results. If you see where he was this time last year and now he is always in the top 10 and it is clear he is making a good job and has established himself; everybody knows who he is and he has made a big step forward. I think in 2011 he has the possibility to be in the top five.
"With Ken we also have to be happy because he is second in the championship but he has been missing some luck; this will come back though. I don't think we can do any more at the moment. We have a good bike, good riders and a good team, and this is the situation also in MX1. I am very happy with Desalle. I have known him for eight years, and knew - when he was just a boy - that he had potential. We had done some work with him in the past for the national championship and it was the right decision to pick him up for 2010.
"Ramon has also been doing well, especially to come back from his injury last year. It was important for us to keep him contracted for a second season, not just for the points he wins, but so that people can see that if a rider has a bad time or very bad luck then we are not just going to kick him out. We don't only look at the results but also the base, support and the family aspect of the teams and that things work well. A rider has to have the right insurance, papers and set-up. He should not just have a good package on the bike but also away from the track and on paper because this is a risky sport. I think we are doing the right things because a lot of riders want to talk with us about 2011 and the perception of our teams is positive.
"For us [Teka] we of course are also dealing with a recession situation but we will proceed in the next years with the two teams and I hope we can pick up one title. We want to keep two riders per class and go for quality not quantity. Our main priority is the teams and that the riders have the possibility to give their best; if we win the title then this is OK but it is not our first issue. We want the public to see that we make a good job and Suzuki present an opportunity that can help their sales. The RM-Z250 is excellent this yyyear and I notice a lot more yellow machinery at the test tracks. If there are 10 bikes making laps then perhaps 8 are Suzukis. With our racing we are making a big promotion right now and not just to the other racers out there but for the hobby riders also and this has benefits for both Suzuki and Teka. I hope we can continue to do this in the coming years and we can keep on getting the publicity and the exposure we are getting now.
"A world-wide championship is important to us because we are an international group with global production organisations and to go to places like South America means taking the brand to new markets. Our customers like motocross and coming to a Grand Prix is a new experience for most. At Teutschenthal we had Larissa Papenmeier making a fantastic result and to see the women's world championship is another good way of how motocross can reach other people. Our customers and guests can see how strong the sport is at the races and how hard it is for the athletes, we get good feedback from them about the GP events.
"We had a change of structure in our organisation, especially on the German side, and came more and more into the retail business so it was important to do something for the customer. I was not sure how it would work at the beginning with regards to our customers but the feedback was excellent. Motocross was new, exciting and something they had not experienced before and the best answer we had back was from people was requests to come to the race again the following year. If our customers want it then for sure we stay."