The GP Tech V4 suit serves as a replacement for my Missile Ignition suit, which has served me very well for the past five years. The GP Tech V4 costs about half of what you’d pay for the top Racing Absolute suit used by the top racers, but it incorporates many of the learnings and top-tier materials that you will find there.
The biggest improvement for me is the overall fit and comfort. The first time I wore this suit, I was in it from 8am to 4pm, with much of that time being spent hanging around the pit area. Normally, that would have been a rather uncomfortable experience, but the GP Tech was surprisingly pleasant.
Much of this goes to all the work Alpinestars has put into incorporating stretch panels in strategic spots, but it’s also down to the materials. This suit uses kangaroo leather in certain panels on the chest, arms and legs, and this material has the benefit of being lighter than the usual bovine leather. I was surprised to see that the armour used is CE Level 1, but the reasoning is that it resides behind tough, hard shell protectors on the shoulders, elbows and knees, which amps up the safety but keeps weight and bulk down.
From a fit standpoint, the GP Tech V4 is superb once you squeeze into it, and the only thing that caught my attention was that it felt a bit tight behind the knees. However, this was only a problem when standing and not on the bike. My sole gripe is that the leather around the chest area bunches up slightly at the seams, which causes no functional issues, but it doesn’t look great.
There are some innovative materials in use here, including Kevlar panels bonded under the leather in high-risk areas. This helps reduce the heat buildup when leather drags on the tarmac at high speed, which can burn the skin. Then, there’s the MATRYX® material, which uses a combination of Kevlar and polyamide yarn and promises high levels of abrasion resistance as well as excellent breathability.
Breathability is excellent, and there are even little intake ducts built into the hard armour on the shoulder and knees. One thing worth noting is that this suit is airbag-compatible but only with the newer systems. Older Astars airbag vests that need to be zipped into the suit don’t seem to be compatible with this one.
Vents are built into the hard armour for better airflow.
At around 2,000 dollars, the price for the GP Tech V4 hasn’t changed compared to its predecessor. You can get much more affordable suits for sure, even from Alpinestars, but if you’re a racetrack regular looking for the next step in comfort and protection, you’ll love the GP Tech V4.
Where: alpinestars.com
Price: Rs 1.8 lakh approx.
Gavin Rodrigues
Dinshaw Magol
Azaman Chothia
