From a press release:

Team Suzuki News Service

PRINCE WILLIAM INVITED TO BRITISH MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX

23rd April, 2002.

THE BRITISH based Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki team has invited Prince William to attend the 2002 British Motorcycle Grand Prix at Donington Park, Leicestershire, on July 14th as its special VIP guest.

The World Championship winning team has reacted to news that Prince William has just passed his Compulsory Basic Training and is interested
in motorcycles by offering him a ringside seat with one of the most successful teams in the history of bike racing at his home Grand Prix.

Based in Edenbridge, Kent, the 20-man strong Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki squad can trace its roots back more than 25-years to the time when Londoner Barry Sheene won his world titles on its machinery. More recently the team won the 2000 World Championship with American Kenny Roberts Jr, who is still riding for it alongside Spanish race winner Sete Gibernau. In total the team has won five riders titles and seven constructors Championships.

For 2002 the team is running new Suzuki GSV-R race bikes. With a 990cc V4 four-stroke engine producing more than 210 bhp and the whole bike tipping the scales at just 145 kg, it is one of the fastest motorcycles on the planet.

Team Manager Garry Taylor said: “We are delighted to make this offer to Prince William to come and enjoy the hospitality of our team at the British Grand Prix. We have always taken pride in being a British team and it would be a great honour to have the Prince as our very special guest. In the past, it was a great honour to have Princess Ann visit us at the race track. If William is interested in motorcycling, then the thrill of meeting the world’s best riders and having a close-up inspection of our multi-million pound race machines will hopefully be interesting to him. We have sent an invite to the Prince and are waiting with our fingers crossed.”