Honda's Freddie Spencer"WiII return to the battle zone of Europe in 1987 without Rothrnans sponsorship.
Sarron returns with Gauloises
Yamahas.
(Above) The 1987 YZR500 includes new scoops on the fairing that will
cool a newly-shaped radiator. (Below) Christian Sarron (3) leads Mike
Baldwin in one of their epic 1986 battles.
Tadahiko Taira moves up to the
500ccclass.
ing for a rider. 'Fred Merkel and last
year's rider Paul Lewis were on the
list, and Baldwin rep~lTledly tested
for the team, but Kenny Irons got the
nod; Irons won the Superstock Championship in England in 1986 on an
FZ750-based Yamaha. The team will
use Suzuki's new 500cc V-four powerplant and it is unknown whether it
will be put in the carbon-fibre frame
or in an aluminum fnlme.
Suzuki Japan
Texan Kevin Schwantz will also
ride the new Suzuki V·four in as
many GPs as his AMAICamel Pm
Series schedule will allow. Schwantz
made his Grand Prix debut last year
in Holland, but crashed. In Belgium,
he stayed upright to earn his first
championship point with a 10th place
finish. Schwantzalso finished 10th in
the final GP in San Marino. His
Suzuki will be fitted with Michelin's.
Elf
The most innovative team on the
circuit returns with Honda V·four
power in 1987. Engand's Ron Haslam will again be the team's only
rider. Haslam finished in the top 10
seven urnes last year and ended up
ninth in the championship. Haslam
had problems with the new Elf 3, but
the Elf concept is slowly becoming a
competitive Grand Prix machine.'
The 250cc class will also be, as is
the norm, highly competitive in 1987.
Defending champ Carlos Lavado and
the Yamaha V-twin will go into the
, year as the favorite, but if Lavado
slips, Sito Pons and Honda will be
ready to strike. '
Martin Wimmer will get a new
teammate on the Marlboro Yamaha
250cc squad as l25cc World Champion Luca Cadalora moves up. Cadalora has impressed many with his
l25cc rides of a year ago and many
feel he will go well on the 250cc
Yamaha. Dominique Sarron, Christian's younger brother, will also return after finishing third in the title
chase last year; Sarron rides a Honda.
Anton Mang had an off year last
season after winning the Formula
Two class at Daytona. Mang is still
regarded as a threat to take the title if
things fa.1l into place. Belgian Stephane Mertens is the one many, including three-time World Champion
Kenny Roberts, are watching. The
Yamaha-pilot finished only 13th in
last year's chase, but he may be the
rising star.
Overall, the 1987 Grand Prix season wi II again provide the most exci ting road racing in the world.
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